


Ghosted

by Sandsstill



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-05-20 01:37:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 38,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19367542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sandsstill/pseuds/Sandsstill
Summary: Online relationships can be an ominous prospect, but when there are hidden fears and forgotten aspects, unspoken hardships and  harbored doubts you may end up finding truths that can haunt you and lead you into another life.I do not use tells that may reveal anything that will give away story lines in advance. This includes Archive Warnings. Read at your own risk.





	1. Initiative

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BrutusDeagon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrutusDeagon/gifts).



> For every nightmare, for every fear, for those we wish we could hold near, for every second we have that counts, for laugh and love and hope that lasts....No future lives without a past, rejoice in those sorrows when you find your path. For happiness is found in every end, that becomes a new beginning- when the world explodes with light and friends, and love is the most important message we ever send.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lifehouse; Hanging by a Moment

 

 

Once again, she hung her head as every officer in the room was handed the ominous red folder. Not that it had anything ominous about it or held any fear, just the fear that kept consuming her as she sank into her chair again. The bull at the podium stuck his glasses on his snout looking over the few officers left in the room before he picked up the papers he had carried in and turned at the door. "The rest of you, you know the drill, parking duty."

Judy slid out of her chair letting her ears droop as she made her way out of the room and back onto the streets carrying the same little ticket puncher she had been toting around for two years. No one acknowledged her presence and she didn't bother trying to talk to Bogo. At most he would tick his ears in her direction and she would be lucky if he looked her way anymore when she would ask why he had refused to allow her onto any cases. She sighed as she rounded the corner and started her day as usual. Hour after hour passed the same as it did every day, but no matter what happened she refused to go back, go home with her tail between her legs knowing, letting everyone know she had failed at her dream and no one saw her as anything but a cute little meter maid.

She could still hear her mother and father proclaiming it was the safest job on the force and her father chanting "Meter maid, meter maid, meter maid!" Another groan and she was dragging her feet back to the precinct before she slid through the doors. The one little thing that always brightened her day was talking to the fat cat behind the desk as she stepped to the side of his semicircle enclosure and lit up like a Christmas tree as he turned to her smiling. "Judy! Did you have a good day today?" She giggled at his bubbly voice and the way he chattered always had her heartwarming even if he was a little too friendly at times.

"It was the same as usual Clawhauser. Anything new on the Chief or maybe getting me something other than...this?" she motioned to her little vest and he let his smile drop into a disappointed frown. She shrugged smiling at him as her ears ticked up, the cat darting his eyes to the same side and cringing as she let her shoulders fall.

"Why does he keep talking to her?" an officer whispered to another as they both frowned.

Clawhauser shook his head as her eyes fell. "Don't listen to them Judy. You're a great cop. You belong here."

She smiled and chuckled weakly as she handed him the little book she had placed all her tickets in. "Thanks Benji. I'm not giving up yet."

"I knew you wouldn't!" he chirped sending her into another giggle.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Clawhauser bit his lip and she caught it before she turned, ticking her head to one side and raising her brows. "Ok, you have something on your mind, might as well tell me before everyone in the precinct knows before I do." The cat's ears flicked back and pinned to his head before she gave him a look that was as telling as the smile she laid on him. "I know how you are Benji, its ok, just tell me and I promise I won't get angry."

Clawhauser looked around and nodded slowly as he sucked in a deep breath. "I uhm, may have sort of set you up…on…a date?"

"Benji!" Judy's jaw dropped and her eyes went wide as he winced.

He flinched as she nearly screamed and looked around nervously. "It's just that you're so lonely. You don't have to meet him Judy, it's just a computer site and I thought you might like to talk to someone. I can't be your only friend here in the city and I know you aren't really talking to your parents after they made that whole big deal with the Chief about you being a Meter maid!"

Judy's mind tracked back to the day she had come in and found her parent irate and leaving Bogo's office. "Are you crazy letting a bunny chase mammals all over the place like that? She never should have been anything but a Meter Maid! At least when she was doing that we knew she wasn't going to get into trouble and was safe!" The next morning Clawhauser had informed her the Chief wouldn't allow her to do anything else again. She had stormed into his office and his face had fallen flat when the door slammed the wall. Clawhauser had rushed to his office wide eyed and Bogo had curled his lip screaming about getting out and he wasn't putting up with any of his officers doing something so…." She let his voice fade as she backed out of the room with her ears low.

She rubbed her temples and groaned before she looked back to see the cheetah with his paws together in front of himself pleading. "Alright, I'll talk to him- but that is all I am doing!" She clapped her paws to her ears as he squealed and bounced in his chair. The cat stopped smacking his paws to his muzzle and she laughed as he looked around catching several sets of ears and eyes locked on him shaking their heads.

"Ok, here Judy. Just go to this I.P. address, he said he would be online around seven tonight."

He handed her a piece of paper and she narrowed her eyes looking over it before slashing them back to him again. "You set up a time for this not even knowing if I would have plans first?" Clawhauser raised both brows giving her an incredulous look as he deadpanned her.

She sighed as she nodded. "Ok, I have no social life." He smiled almost evilly as she rolled her eyes. "I'm going and I will talk to him, but that is all I am doing." He nodded his head rapidly shooting her a Cheshire smile as she left the precinct. She let her head drop and grumbled as she walked home. "Why can I not just tell people no? Why do I always have to be the good guy and try to make everyone else happy? I am not doing that with someone I don't know." She ground her teeth as she paced the stairs to her apartment and set her eyes on the ceiling as Bucky and Pronk started screaming in the next room.

"It was your turn to do the dishes!"

I did them yesterday, it's not my fault you have a bad memory, or are you just lazy?"

"I am not lazy and stop talking to me like that! If you can't be nice just shut up!"

"You shut up!"

"No, you shut up!"

Judy rolled her eyes as she closed the door letting her head fall as her back hit the wall. "Just why?" she asked the invisible air as she pulled off her vest and let it drop to the floor.

Her ears shot up as Bucky shushed Pronk. "Shush- the bunny is home."

"Well duh, she lives there, it's her apartment. I am not being quiet just because that stupid rabbit is here!"

"You are going to upset her again! I do not want her coming over here like the last time."

Judy cinched her shoulders into her cheeks as they both started screaming at each other again. The last time they had been arguing it was three in the morning and she couldn't take it anymore so she had gone over beating on their door, screaming at them and when it had swung open she flew into the room knocking Pronk to the floor as she tossed her radio at Bucky asking if they knew what time it was and to be more considerate of their neighbors. They had both looked at her with open jaws as she grabbed their doorknob and slammed it before going back to her own apartment and making a note to slam her door as well.

From then on she had resorted to keeping her headphones in so as not to make a fool of herself again when they were fighting. She flopped into her chair and laid the paper Clawhauser had given her on her desk. Why am I doing this? It is so stupid, and dangerous and..... ugh, it's Clawhauser." She left it laying there as she got her usual TV dinner out and looked at the pathetic excuse for a carrot in it before resigning to it once again. An hour later and she had taken her shower and gotten dressed for bed before sitting at the desk debating on the open screen in front of her. "I already told him I would and your word is your promise…"

She typed in the address and let one side of her lip curl as she read the link. "Mammal mater; we believe that love exists even for those who feel they may never find it and should be built on friendship. This site allows mammals to talk without the worries of social pressure, species division and our own learned or unknown mammality of judging someone based on appearance. It is the individual's choice to reveal their species at a time when they believe it is appropriate after getting to know someone. This is often the path to finding true love or friendship without any kind of judgement. Our services are free and we will not share your information with others. Due to size differences in species we will only match you with those with similar heights and weights within a certain range. We will not share this information with any of our clients. We advise you to only use your first name until you are completely comfortable with anyone you may meet or find a name that you feel suits you for security reasons."

Judy puffed her cheeks out and pulled up a page where she entered her information. She looked at the clock biting her cheek and caught the time at almost ten after seven and was nervously drumming her fingers as she set the page and sat looking it over. Her ears shot up as a chime sounded and she held her breath as she looked back at her screen. "Hello. You have a very unusual username. I am Hula Green. I believe we have a mutual friend."

Judy ticked her head to one side looking over the screen. "How do you even know I am the right person to be talking with right now?"

"Ha-ha, well I don't but since you aren't saying any different, I am assuming I am. There aren't a great deal of mammals who fall into my size range and you are the only new suggestion that is the opposite sex. Since it is rather close to the time I was told to meet someone I am hoping you are her. Are you her? Benjamin seemed very excited for us to meet."

Judy dropped her brow scowling as she typed her response. "I wouldn't exactly call this meeting, would you? This is a rather unusual way to talk to someone."

There was a delay in the response before the little icons started bouncing in a similar manner to a mammal's fingers drumming a desk. "I am a little nervous around a lot of mammals and was reluctant to agree to this. It's not exactly easy for me to really trust anyone."

She looked away from the screen in thought as her fingers rested on the keyboard. "I guess I can understand that. No one really trusts me so I don't trust anyone either. You can't really give that to someone if you aren't getting it in return."

"No one trusts you? I thought Benjamin did. He didn't tell me a great deal but was very adamant about you being trustworthy."

"He is the only one. No one else listens to me and most don't pay much attention because I am too small. They all think I am just…cute."

She hit the button and let her eyes fly open as she caught what she had just typed and swallowed as the little icons bounced again. Why did you say that?

"No respect then either? That I can understand. A lot of mammals only see what species I am and my size. It's not a very good way to judge someone's character. I'd rather someone just saw me. Maybe you are cute, I can't see you to tell."

Judy sat staring at the screen before a sneaky smile crested her cheeks. "Har, Har. Don't call me cute."

"Oh, come now madam, surely you know if you are cute or not?"

"Look Slick, this is not going to go really well if that name keeps coming up." She curled her lip under as she hit enter.

A quick response had her tilting her ears. "Apologies, I meant no offence to a lady. I was just teasing. I am often considered ...well let's just say there are things I don't care for being called either and I would not want us to get off on the wrong foot."

Judy smiled and let it go as she sat closer to her keyboard. "Ok, then we have something in common. So, would you mind explaining your username at least?"

"I like Hawaiian things, and my eyes are green. What about yours?"

Judy's ears dropped and her cheeks lit up as she tapped her teeth. She couldn't type and was internally kicking herself for not having any idea what else to use as the icons started bouncing again. "….. is it that bad? Surely you don't have feathers?"

She could imagine an unseen mammal laughing hysterically as she slumped in her chair before she gathered enough courage to type again. "No, I am just not terribly imaginative and I used my brothers nick name."

"A nick name? Your brothers nick name is Rooster?"

Judy giggled until she was gasping so hard she had folded over in her chair. She wiped her eyes as she straightened back out again. "I'm sorry, I had to catch my breath from laughing. I grew up on a farm and he always liked our chickens."

"You raised chickens and they called him Rooster? Wow he must have really liked them."

"Oh, he didn't like them, he loved them." She laughed as she hit enter and was wiping her eyes as the icons bounced again.

"You mean he….?!"

"Yes."

She watched the screen biting her lip grinning as there was another long delay before the little dots were bouncing again. "Ughhh, I think I may never eat chicken again…"

Judy blinked as it hit her and she was laughing again as she typed. "You, are a predator?"

"……ooh, Oops. I guess you have an issue with that and prefer knowing prey species?"

She shook her head as her eyes fell. "No, I didn't mean it that way. I guess I am a little surprised you don't know what I am and Clawhauser didn't tell me anything about you. I'm really not interested in anything romantic. The site seems to be, leaning towards that? One of my best friends is a fox. We didn't get along when we were kids, now he is someone I really like spending time with when I go home."

"A fox!? Wow. You don't hear that often. Nothing romantic was intended, just someone to talk to and looking for a friend. Benjamin is an online friend too. We have never really met either and don't talk often. He seems to think I need to…be more social. I'm not sure he knows what species I am. I work from home and don't get out much."

Judy sighed as she nodded. "Me either, but I do have to get up in the morning to go to work."

"Oh, I have a bit of an unusual schedule. I didn't realize we had been talking for this long. Would you…. like to talk again?"

Judy tapped the buttons biting her lip. "I would like that. It was nice to meet you Hula Green. Same time tomorrow?" she asked and waited watching her screen.

"I am usually here and will be counting the moments. Goodnight."

Judy typed the same response before closing her laptop and crawling into bed. Bucky and Pronk were still at it and she shoved her headphones in her ears as she closed her eyes. "Maybe, I can just talk to him…."


	2. Bumping Around

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My Chemical Romance; Famous Last Words

Judy hopped to the next car sticking a ticket on the windshield and wiping her brow as she slid down. She turned to log it into her book and dropped her brow at the reflection in the window. The doe turned with a tight frown as the elephant who pulled the ticket off his car looked it over growling and balled it up throwing it into the trash can. "Hey! You can't do that!" she growled as he shook his head and jumped into his car racing from the parking space as her legs readied to sprint.

"It won't do you any good to chase him Bunny." She turned narrow eyed and blinked as the little fox in front of her shook his head. "Best bet is just to turn it in and let the precinct take care of it rabbit." Judy looked him over and shoved her book into her pocket as she shook her head.

"No respect, not even when I have a real badge." She grumbled as she walked past the short fox.

A deep bellowed laugh caused her ears to shoot ramrod as she spun on him glaring. "Aint got nothin' ta do with that badge bunny." She narrowed her eyes as he continued to chuckle. "All they see is a name and you still got that thing hidden under an orange vest. All you look is cute."

The little fox's eyes darted open wide as she snatched him up by the collar of the shirt and ground her teeth. "DON'T CALL ME CUTE FINNICK!" Her face fell as one side of his lip curved into a sly smirk and she dropped him before backing away, turning quickly as she broke into a heated run.

"YOU CAN'T RUN FOREVER RABBIT! YOU CAN'T BE ANYTHING BUT WHAT YOU ARE! YOU HAVE TO STOP LYING TO YOURSELF AND ..." his voice faded as she rushed down several alleys and found herself panting at the side of a building as she looked around. She collected herself and marched back to the precinct storming through the doors as Clawhauser's head shot up. The door swung open and slammed into the wall before she started marching up the stairs to Bogo's office, bound and determined he was going to listen to her whether he wanted to or not this time. She was sick of everyone telling her she was nothing but cute and would never be anything but a meter maid and wasn't going to walk away without a different assignment. Several officers were ticking their eyes between Clawhauser and the stairs as he darted from behind the desk chasing after her.

"Judy! Judy, what are you doing?" she shoved one of the chairs out of her way letting it slide across the floor in front of him and he winced as she reached for the Chiefs door handle.

"I'm going to tell him how I feel. I'm going to be a real cop. I don't want to be a Meter maid!"

"He isn't here." Her ears fell as she let the door fly open and saw the empty desk before she turned to the chubby cat as he shook his head. "He should be back soon, but he had a meeting with City Hall today…about you."

"Me?" she asked and searched his face as he let off a soft breath.

"It isn't like he hasn't been trying to change things Judy. They just won't listen. He isn't the one who is keeping you here."

Judy let her head fall as she searched the floor. Clawhauser stepped closer bending to her level and she looked up to see him with a soft smile and bright eyes. "I have some carrot cake in the break room. Maybe it will make you feel better?"

She rolled her eyes and ticked her hips giggling. "Oh yes, I'm sure adding another inch will make me feel better."

Clawhauser giggled as he stood straight. "Psh, like they aren't looking anyway. Would just give them more reasons to stare as you walk away."

Judy looked around seeing several eyes and turned her cheek as her face flushed sending the cat into another set of giggles. "I told you so." He chirped as she rolled her eyes and started walking with him to the break room. Several officers were smiling as Clawhauser opened the door and waited for her to enter. She pulled out a chair and several officers in the room looked their direction and gave them a nod as Clawhauser sat down with the small cake he had pulled from the refrigerator. "So… how did it go last night?"

Judy set her eyes on the ceiling and fought smiling as his eyes stayed locked on her, trying to read her expression. The cat bit his lip as she smiled with a small shrug. "He seemed like a nice guy." Judy laughed as his feet bounced up and down under the table when he clapped his paws together.

"Come on, is that all? He's just a nice guy?" She ticked her lips up in an awkward ornery smirk as she deadpanned him.

"What were you expecting? A looooove connection?" she drug the word out breaking into laughter as his ears fell and jaw dropped. "Come on Benji, I read the site profile. I just talked to him once and I have no idea what he is like. I don't even know his name."

Clawhauser looked back to the cake longingly and she laughed motioning to it before he grabbed a piece. "I just thought you guys sort of had a lot in common. It took me forever to get him to really talk to me and he still doesn't really say much. Won't even tell me what he does at work. All I know is that he stays home most of the time and it has something to do with his computer."

"You didn't tell him anything about me at all?"

Clawhauser licked his fingers pulling the frosting from his claws as he shook his head. "No, it was kind of our deal. He won though."

"Deal?" She asked suspiciously as he chomped into the slice he was holding.

"Yeah, I’ve been talking to him off and on for about a year. I told him I knew someone he might like to talk to and he said he wasn't interested."

Judy's ears perked as he licked his thumb off. "A year?"

He nodded as he looked back to the cake and she giggled before telling him to eat the rest of it. He picked it up gratefully rolling his eyes as he bit into the last piece. After licking his fingers clean again, he sat back lapping at a glass of milk. "Well I guess it may have been six months ago I brought it up. He said he really didn’t want to try anything again after he put so much into the last time he tried to talk to someone and it didn’t work out... said he didn't think he could go through that again. He said if I could guess one thing correct about him, he would agree to it." Her ears set on him as he shook his head. "I have no idea what I guessed right. I'm not really sure I guessed anything right. He may have just got tired of me bugging him every day."

She cocked her head to one side furrowing her brows at him. "He said you didn't talk that much."

"We didn't. But I messaged him at least three or four times a day. He wouldn't tell me what I guessed right and there were too many messages to go through and check. But he said that he would talk to you under one circumstance."

Judy lifted her brows as he finished off his milk and sat up grinning at her. "He said he didn't want to know anything about you except what I thought about what kind of mammal you are."

She sat there stunned for a minute until he sat back up smiling at her. "You guys, made a bet out of me?"

Clawhauser blinked and his face fell as she turned her head to the floor. "No! I mean no, no, no!"

"Clawhauser." The familiar deep voice had the officers in the room turning their heads to the door as the cat's ears flipped back up and Judy turned in her chair seeing Chief Bogo standing at the door. The bull looked around and waited until he had joined him at the entrance keeping their voices low as Bogo sighed. Clawhauser's shoulders slumped as Bogo shook his head. It wasn't meant to be overheard, but Judy caught it as they turned their backs to the room. "They won't do it. Said it would seem like too much of a publicity stunt and would only cause others to try to get the mammal inclusion program going again."

Clawhauser peeked back around Bogo’s arm and Judy kept her eyes focused on the empty plate on the table in front of her. "There isn't anything they will consider for her, Sir?"

Bogo shook his head and her ears dropped as her eyes swelled over. "I tried to convince them for more than an hour. They said they wouldn't hear me again and the…"

Several officers in the room jolted as the plate that was in front of her slammed into the wall and shattered. She stood up with clenched fists and bleary eyes staring at them before she was screaming and slamming her paws into the table top jostling it with each thump of her fists. "WHAT ARE YOU ALL LOOKING AT?! HAVEN'T YOU EVER SEEN A CUTE LITTLE BUNNY GET ANGRY BEFORE?!" She shot her arm over the table hurling all the papers that were there away before jerking to a small table and knocking the coffee pot off the ledge. The officers in the room gaped before their eyes went wide and they all rushed from the room as Clawhauser stood there with his jaw hanging open staring at her as she threw things around.

Bogo blinked before his eyes narrowed. Then his teeth locked together as his jaw clamped tight around angry lips. She stopped cold as she heard him growl and turned in time to see him snort. His breath was so angry she could almost see it as he screamed. "GRRRR-HOPPS!" Her ears dropped just before her knees did and she fell to the floor sobbing as Clawhauser looked back to the bull with a pathetic pout. Bogo blew out a deep breath shaking his head. "Get her under control and send her home. You can see me in my office after shift."

The cheetah nodded before rushing back into the room and sat beside her before she curled into his arms and lap. Several of the officers who had fled the room peeked back in and he shook his head motioning them off until he had her calm again. He wiped one of her cheeks with his paw. "Judy?"

"I'm sorry Benji. I think I need to go home now."The friendly cat smiled nodding as she picked herself up and dusted off her pants. 

"Yeah. That's probably a good idea. Everybody has a breaking point so don't worry about it too much."

"Easy for you to say." She let her voice drop as she looked out the door. "Chief won't fire you. He won't even talk to me."

Clawhauser's ears pinned back as he placed a paw on her shoulder. "He won't fire you Judy. He just doesn't know how to deal with someone like you."

She sniffled as she looked around and sighed. "Yeah, I guess I really should start trying not to get so emotional. I'll help clean this up before I go home."

Clawhauser giggled as he shook his head. "Just go home and take a hot bath. I'll take care of this."

She nodded as she looked out the door, grateful none of the other officers were looking in to see her still wiping her face off. "Thanks, Benji."

She made her way back to the lobby, clutching one of her arms and keeping her eyes low as the few officers she walked past stepped away from her and she could feel their eyes on her as she rushed out the doors. By the time she had gotten back to her little apartment she was tear soaked and didn't care about the bath or dinner anymore. She could hear Bucky and Pronk whispering in the next room about her crying and buried her head under her pillow trying to drown out the noise as a chime broke through the fluff around her ears. She sat up looking at her desk and a glance at her clock had her sighing as she moved to take a seat in the chair. Once the screen was open, she sat there looking at the message and debating on whether she should say anything at all in response to the message he had sent. 

"Hello, Rooster. I would really love it if I could call you something else so I could get that whole thought about your brother out of my head."

She pursed her lips as she hit each key. "I suppose you can call me Crow. I seem to be eating a lot of it lately and you are no exception."

"I am no exception? I don't understand. Why are you eating crow? Do you understand what that means?"

"Yes, I do. It means accepting something hard to swallow. I agreed to talk to someone and thought I might have made a friend, but you made me part of a bet. Only agreeing to talk to me after someone had guessed something about you, or maybe you got tired of him asking. It would appear you are just one more person who is tolerating me and I don't need your pity."

"I can hardly pity someone so rude. It looks as if I also made a mistake in believing you were genuine last night. I will make sure to tell Benjamin not to make the suggestions about trying to be more social if I ever speak with him again. It is obviously not my cup of tea if this is how people act towards someone they just met who is being friendly. I can see why you are avoided if this is how you speak to anyone else."

"You are an arrogant Jerk! I am sick of everyone acting like I am nothing more than a cute little bunny who is just acting like I am wearing a costume at a Halloween party and playing cops and robbers like it is some kind of phase and you aren't any different!"

"I beg your pardon? No, No I really do not. But as I believe this is a futile attempt and nothing more than bringing a dark place into my world. I will bid you adieu. Have a nice life, Carrots."

"CARR…" the screen cut to a page that said the link had been terminated and her lip wobbled as she slammed it shut and jumped back into her bed burrowing into her pillow. Her eyes creaked open as she heard a sliding noise and she sat up in her bed looking around before her sight landed on the envelope that had been shoved under her door.

She hopped out of her bed steadying her breaths as she picked it up looking it over, and opened it pulling out a white labeled paper heavily engraved and embossed with gold. Her ears dropped as she read it. “I did not ask your address or any personal information from Benjamin. I only asked that he had this message delivered to you. I have not really spoken to anyone for several years and in case I did not have the nerve to do so later I just wanted to tell you I enjoyed talking to you and am looking forward to having more conversations in the future. It was nice talking to someone real again. Hula Green~”

Judy let it slip from her paw as she plopped on her bed burying her face in her paws sniffling again. "I'm real alright, real stupid.... I have to fix this."


	3. Spare me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theory of a Deadman; Not Meant to Be

Judy slunk into the precinct the next morning. If she had ever worried about going home with her tail between her legs, she imagined it probably wouldn't be this bad as she slumped to Clawhauser's desk. The cat gave her a fretful look, sighing and looking around before motioning to the bull pen. It was early enough that no one had assembled yet and the quietest place to be before everything got busy. She took a seat as the usually bubbly cat twiddled his fingers. She looked at him shamefully as he let his eyes drop. She pulled an envelope from her pocket and gave it to him as he sighed. "Can you return it to him for me?"

He looked it over biting his lip and back to her before he shrugged. "I can try, but he pretty much let me know not to bother him again." Judy cringed as she saw the cat look off to the door again.

"Benji… I'm really sorry. I know it's not going to fix everything but I am and I didn’t want you to lose a friend because of it.. Did he tell you what I…"

"No, he didn't say anything. Just that he would prefer to be alone from now on and it needed to stay that way." She nodded as officers started coming into the room and he let himself slip through several of them as she turned her attention to the podium Bogo gave assignments out from. The ruckus the morning shift made was lost on her as she thought over what she considered some of her most foolish actions as she slipped from her desk after everyone had been handed folders. She didn't bother asking or wondering about the assignments today and all she could think about was what had led up to her acting like….an ass.

But it wasn't the precinct or the officers she was thinking about. Just a friendly faceless mammal who had tried to talk to her without seeing what the rest of the world saw. Her day had barely begun as she started ticketing cars and a familiar small fox was leaned into the wall as she slid off another vehicle too tall for her to reach without jumping on the hood. She ticked her eyes to him and they fled just as quickly as he tipped forward and raised a brow. "Uh oh." She heard him say as his voice got closer. She looked to her side briefly catching him looking up at her with a cocked head and tipped ears before she tried picking up the pace of her feet. It only made him start chuckling as she groaned and stopped dropping her head so their vision met. The brown eyed little fox was glowing as he looked her over and nodded. "Somebody got told, didn't they?"

Judy huffed as she popped a hip out and frowned at him. "What in Zootopia does that mean? Do you know how annoying you are Finnick? Why do you follow me around as if…you …are…" her eyes went wide as her wandering gaze shot back to him and the smirk on his face lit into an elated smile. "OH NO! NO! NO! NO!"

"Aww come on bunny, you're a bunny! And you are…cute."

Her eyes narrowed as her teeth ground together before she split into a smile and dropped propping her weight on her knees with her paws. "Finnick, you just crossed two lines that most 'bunnies' would kick you into a wall for, and you are talking to one who has a badge right now."

"Yeah?" he barked in laughter bouncing his brows. "Why do ya think I'm talking to you? You're an officer of the law so you can't kick me through anything. And who knows, maybe you can keep me outta trouble, by getting me into some." He flicked her pawcuffs and she had to choke down the scoff of laughter as he looked her over again.

Instead of insulting him or threatening him she dropped a little lower raising her brows and his eyes went wide as she looked him over with a sultry smile. "You know…" she whispered as his ears shot up. "It will never happen because I know…. I might be the death of you."

He fell back on his hind quarters looking at her as his jaw fell and she giggled as she swung her pawcuffs around and walked away leaving him there as the smile on his face broke out into a booming laughter. "OH, WHAT A DEATH THAT WOULD BE!" Judy looked back at him smirking as she hopped around another car. She had just stuck another ticket on a smaller vehicle when she rolled her eyes as Finnick jumped from around the corner. "Damn your all kinds of-"

"Don't say it again you little-" she bit her tongue and rolled her eyes as he scrunched his nose up grinning at her. "Oh please. I know what you are doing and it is not going to work."

Finnick stopped and ticked his head to one side innocently as she raised both brows sticking her tongue on her teeth. The doe folded her arms over her chest and bounced a foot slowly until he huffed a breath and nodded. "Figures. You think I'm just out to make you a notch on my belt or somethin?"

She curled her lip and shook her head before she was shooting him the fakest smile she could muster. "No, I think you follow me around, selling those little candies and popsicles you make because you know the other officers won't come anywhere near me. I also think you would love it if I was all chummy with you and getting you out of trouble, if you managed to make me believe you were serious about this." His face fell to a flat blank as she showed him her teeth and he shook his head.

"Damn. I thought ya were a country bunny."

"I am a country bunny. Country does not mean gullible, it does not mean naïve, it does not mean dumb. And bunny does not mean anything you just implied."

Finnick cocked his head to one side looking her over again as he bounced his head. "Aight, you still cute though. And I gotta question for ya." She turned with a flat face before waving a paw for him to continue. "Ya woulda strangled me yesterday for callin ya cute. What changed today?"

Her ears dropped and her eyes darted to the ground as she let her head hang. "I…. guess I got told, that's all." The small fox's ears shot up as he looked her over and stepped closer as she looked at him and shook her head. "Please don't ask."

"I'm askin' bunny. I've made it a thing to insult you every day to keep your attention on me and now someone's movin in on my turf here!"

Judy giggled as she shook her head and dropped to balance her weight with her knees as she got level with the small fox. "I am not your turf because there is no grass growing anywhere on me Finnick. No reason to get upset about it anyway. You know I may technically be an officer but I'm pretty sure if I tried to arrest anyone, they would laugh me into the ground. You saw what happened with the ticket yesterday. If you want to keep following me around because it helps you sell things and stay out of trouble I don't have a problem with it as long as this doesn't continue." He raised his brows waiting as she looked around. "Don't pretend. Just be who you are and stop trying to convince me you are doing it for a different reason, and I am not going to help you if you are doing something illegal."

Finnick curled his brow and rubbed the back of his head before taking a deep breath and nodding. "Aight. I can do that.Yesterday they just saw the name Hopps, that’s all. But uhm, who told ya?"

Judy shook her head as she raised to her feet again. "I told me. I just told the wrong someone something and ended up seeing it myself." She tipped one shoulder up before glancing at her watch. "Are you hungry?" Finnick looked at her with one brow tipped before he looked around biting his lip. She giggled as he looked back at her dumbfounded. "Put your hood back up and act like a kit. You’re good at it. Maybe it will help you sell some more of those things if they all think the cute fox kit is being helped by the …cute… bunny cop. I could use some company today and will cover lunch." Finnick ticked his ears back and tossed his hood up letting his elephant ears stick out as Judy extended a paw giggling. He grabbed it grinning and took on the waddle he had become well known for as they started walking down the side walk together.

A red fox on the other side of the street in the shadows set his ears and tipped his sunglasses down as he watched the bunny grab the little fox's paw. He stayed there curiously keeping an eye on them as they took seats at an open table under an awning littered with metal chairs. He almost laughed as she struggled to help him into the chair while he kept acting like he was much younger but bit his tongue as he watched her prop her arms under his and lift him like he was…. he turned the other direction shaking his head before leaving the scene to its own devices.

Judy sat with Finnick for more than half an hour, leaning in and whispering about his potential customers or giggling as he would eye the occasion female passing by. "I knew I wasn't your type." She almost sang as he smacked his lips jerking his head back to her. He shrugged smirking as she laughed when a younger vixen walked by as his head turned with her. "You aren't going to be convincing many of them you are a kit if you keep doing that Finnick."

He turned back into his seat watching her leaning away from her whispered voice as he curled his muzzle nodding his head. "You would be surprised at what I can get away with when they think I am a kit."

Judy's eye ticked as a lecherous smile crawled up his muzzle and she leaned forward shaking her head. "Don't make me arrest you." Finnick clamped a paw over his muzzle trying to smother his chuckling as she put her lips in a smart alack grimace between a smile and a condescending frown. "It would be a shame to put one of the only friends I have in jail."

Finnick scoffed as he stood up in his seat getting ready to jump for the ground. "Ya just told me ya probably couldn't arrest anyone and the-" he stopped just before he was about to jump and looked up at her blinking. The doe bit her lip looking away a little bashfully as his smile crested from ear to ear. "Friend hu?" She ticked her eyes to him with a half-hidden smile and he nodded in approval. "Aight, friend it is." He jumped from the chair still sporting a grin as she hopped from hers, both of them turning as they set back to the street they had come from. Judy's ears shot up as a mammal screamed and she turned letting her eyes bloom as an elephant stumbled over a chair that was only to her calf in height. The bunny jumped when Finnick spun and the little fox went white as a ghost as she rested on the opposite side of where the cow had fallen, spewing apologies to all the mammals who had scattered in her wake. He looked up from under her arm feeling her chest heaving as she balanced on one paw in front of her, both her feet planted firmly on the ground as she held him slung under her arm. He just stared at her for a moment before she let his weight down and stood to see him still standing there as if he were in aww. She rubbed her arm looking around for any injured mammals and saw several of the patrons helping the elephant up and assessing the damage. Once she was satisfied there were no injuries, she left the scene as Finnick stood there like a rock watching her walk away.

He shook himself out of the stupor as he rushed to catch her and landed at her side with her giving him an almost unnoticeable glance. "You saved my life. Thank you."

She tipped her head slightly and shrugged. "It's what we do at the Z.P.D." She left him standing there chuckling as she returned to her parking duties and carried out her day as if nothing had happened.

Finnick took his usual post at one of the corners, occasionally eyeing her and looking back and forth between the alley across the street. No one would have noticed the shadow staying hidden in the darkness if they didn't know he had been there watching. He slid his shades back sighing as he watched her finish her last ticket and a small wave to Finnick was all it took before she was darting down another road back to the precinct to hand in her days work. Finnick stood there cockily as the red fox stepped out of the shadows. He slipped his shades up, barely peeking over the rim before ticking his head the direction the bunny had gone in. One look from the taller fox and Finnick let his face drop when he received a disappointed glance with a slick tick of his head that indicated he was not impressed.

The red fox turned abruptly letting his tail slash the air before he was gone faster than anyone would have realized he had been standing there. Finnick growled as he shook his head and rolled his eyes before he rushed into the same alley and found his parked 'Beast'. A name he had given the gas guzzling mural depicting van shortly after understanding exactly how much gasoline it needed to 'eat'. He flipped the key and adjusted the controls on the steering wheel that allowed a smaller mammal to drive. He rolled the wheel turning the corner and grumbling as he traversed the back streets until he found a little path leading to an old stone bridge where he threw the van into park before jumping out and storming down the side of the little hill where the red fox sat in an old lawn chair, his head tipped back to the sky as his shades stayed locked on his snout.

The small fox folded his arms over his chest growling until the red fox turned his head and lowered his glasses. His gums peeled up in a snarl that showed his fangs and Finnick shrank as his eyes stayed locked on him. He sighed as he nodded. "I get it Nick. It aint enough." The red fox snorted as he stuck his glasses back over his eyes and let his head fall back looking at the sky again. "You got a better idea?" Nick looked off under the bridge pointing and Finnick craned his neck until he caught sight of the old red crate beside the wall that boasted bold white letters faded with weather. Wilde Times.

"Wilde Times?" He asked and Nick tipped forward huffing as he let his face drop into his paws. "Wilde…Time?" The red fox let his head slide to one side as Finnick let his face fall into a sorrowful frown. He jolted back as Nick shot from the chair grabbing it at the back and slamming it into the ground barking and snarling as he smashed it into little bits and stomped away still growling. Finnick plopped on the ground looking off the direction Nick had rushed into the warehouse and shook his head. His ears shot up as he heard several large bangs and crashes followed by more growling and frustrated snarling. "We're running out of time aint we, Nick?"


	4. Untraceable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Justin Bieber; What do you mean?

Judy almost bounced to her apartment humming happily as she opened her door. Bucky and Pronk were standing at their door fiddling with the keys and bickering over where it should have been kept. They both turned their heads as Judy opened her door, leaning back a little and looking into the room as she shook her head giggling. “Hi Guys!” she shot them an energetic wave as she turned into her room and closed the door. Bucky and Pronk looked at the door, glanced at each other and shrugged before starting at it all over again. She rolled her eyes as she dropped her vest in its usual spot before grabbing the horrid carrot tv dinner and shoving it in the microwave. After munching…well swallowing what she could tolerate she had changed into her bedclothes opting for a morning shower as she picked through her phone. She bit her lip as the picture of her parents popped up on the screen. She curled it under, still determined not to speak to them until things got better. She let her phone drop to the bed and looked up cringing at the laptop sitting on her desk. I have to fix this.

There was a significant possibility Clawhauser wouldn’t be able to get her message through to Hula Green. She resigned herself to her own stupidity and slid off the bed to her desk, flipping the top up as she settled in the chair. She let her ears droop as she pulled up the page, tapping the keys lightly as she tried to figure out what message to leave. She sucked in her pride and started from the top, hoping she could recall as much as she had written on the returned envelope stationary. “Hula Green, Nothing I can say will forgive what I did because I know it was wrong. I don’t expect you to forgive me, I wouldn’t forgive me either. There is no point in giving a reason because it is no excuse for treating someone so poorly. I was a horrible friend. I wish that I could do something more than just telling you I am sorry because words aren’t enough.” She took a deep breath and hit send crinkling her nose as the screen read sent before she turned to leave the desk. Her ears shot up as her eyes went back to the screen.

On the other side of town, a red fox’s ears perked and he looked to Finnick as he raised his brows. He stood and moved towards the soft glow behind the screen and read the message after opening the link. His eyes narrowed angrily as he read it over and he curled his lip up on one side revealing one sharp toothed fang.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the cute little bunny. You think we are going to be friends now just because you said that?”

“No. I just thought I should tell you myself in case the message didn’t get through from Benji. I was, arrogant, inconsiderate, and small minded.”

There was a delay on the screen as Nick looked over the message and a smirk crested his face as he turned his head to Finnick who was perched atop the desk. The smaller fox peeked at the screen letting the light from it hit his face and dance through his fur as he bobbed his head.

“Alright, Carrots. What exactly did you have in mind to give a proper apology?”

Judy tilted her head scrunching her lip and brow up as she looked at the screen. “What did I have in mind?”

“Well,” he responded quickly. “You said if there was something else you could do you would.”

Judy dropped her brow. “What exactly is it you think I am willing to do just to apologize?” She nearly pounded out every letter angrily as she glared at the screen.

“Perhaps you would be willing to see me?”

“See you?!” she pounded out again. “You want to meet me? After only talking a couple of times? Do you think I am crazy or just stupid? I mean what is your name, what species are you?” She curled her lip as the icons started bouncing again.

“I will not tell you what species I am, since you seem to think I am pretty ‘Slick’ you can stick with that if Hula Green doesn’t agree with you.”

Judy growled as she thumped her keyboard again. “You know what species I am! Why not tell me yours and your name!? What have you got to hide? How do I know you won’t try to cart me off somewhere and…?"

“I see. So, it was only words then? You did not tell me what species you are out of trust, Carrots. You told me out of anger, for what I am still unclear on, but it wasn’t meant for me. Trust is earned once it has been broken. I am not going to just give it to you freely again when I have no reason to trust you at this point and I have done nothing for you not to trust me.”

Judy cringed as she looked away from the screen. Nick waited as Finnick glanced between him and the soft glow lighting the dark space in the old warehouse. His ears picked up as Finnick craned his neck again and his teeth split as her response spread over the screen.

“I know you haven’t. I will meet you if I can ask for a small favor first.” Judy looked up at her calendar sighing as the icons on her laptop bounced again.

“You are asking me for something? I don’t think you understand. I am not only asking you to meet with me, I am asking if you are willing to see me. I am not sure what I could do as a favor to you if you are not willing to see me.”

Judy curled her lip and furrowed her brow as she tried to understand what he meant but didn’t ask as she let her fingers rest on the keyboard again. “I am willing to meet you! It is just that I don’t know you very well. I don’t really care what species you are and you are right, you haven’t given me any reason not to trust you. I am willing to see you, but could we at least talk for a little bit before we meet?”

“Talk?” he asked as his lips curled uncomfortably. “Carrots, I am on a tight schedule. I would like to meet you tomorrow. There is a problem with us talking because I cannot talk.”

“Tomorrow?! What do you mean you can’t talk? You are talking right now!”

“I mean I cannot speak, and I have a trip I must be making soon. I would like to see you before I leave. If it is too soon then I am afraid this is a waste of both our time.”

Judy scrunched her face together looking back at her calendar and running her fingers over the top of her desk. Nick sat there in the glow with a brow cocked as he waited while the icons bounced again.

“I am working until noon tomorrow. I have vacation time I am taking from work and will be available after then to meet you. It doesn’t matter if you can’t speak, I meant could you talk to me here? Maybe tonight? It might make me a little tired but I would feel more comfortable if we could talk without me being…. I was upset the last time we spoke and we don’t know each other well.”

Nick smirked as he bit his lip and Finnick chuckled as he sat there grinning. “Is that all you want? To talk before we meet. I can do that. I am more a…creature of the night than the day. If you would like we can talk tonight and you can sleep after you get off work. It would be better for me if we met in the evening anyway. I have much more energy and get along better in darkness than the daylight.”

Judy huffed as she nodded absently. “I thought it might make you feel better too. Where is it you would like to meet?”

Nick laughed silently as Finnick leaned back on his paws. “Have you ever been to Tundra Town? There is a little park there with an ice-skating rink. I thought it might be a nice place to get to know each other.”

“Ice skating? I haven’t done that since I was younger. Is this…like, a date?” she cringed as she hit enter and the red fox was bouncing silently as Finnick covered his snickering.

“A date? Well, now that is a bit of a surprising thing for you to be thinking considering you wanted to pull my tail off yesterday. But I suppose if that is how you would like to see it, it can be.”

Judy balled her fists and rolled her eyes as her cheeks lit up. “Are you going to keep making me feel uncomfortable because I was a jerk to you? Can we just talk for a little while before we meet? How am I going to know who you are if I don’t know what species you are? I mean how will I recognize you?”

“I am Hula Green. You will recognize me by the name. I will know who you are because apparently you are a cute little bunny.”

“Look you,” she typed cockily as her eyes narrowed in an evil little smile. “I am tolerating being called Carrots because I deserved that and it’s better than Rooster. Don’t push the cute issue.”

Nick laughed again as his head tipped back and nodded. “As you wish, Carrots. How would you like to get to know each other before we actually meet?”

Judy bit her cheek as she looked off in thought. “I thought maybe we could just tell each other about ourselves? Maybe how we grew up or the things we liked?”

Nick stood from the desk he was behind and let out a heavy sigh as Finnick sat upright looking between him and the screen. “I think that would be a good place to start Carrots. Give me just a moment to get a little more comfortable, would you?”

“O.K.”

The warehouse him and Finnick were inside lit up like a flash and the small fox threw his paws up shielding his face from the light as the windows from the darkened building outside flickered and went dark again. Finnick looked around smiling at the absence of the red fox before his eyes shifted back to the screen. It went dark before he was chuckling and he hopped down making his way back to his van. He jumped into the back curling into a little ball and let his eyes close before he was slumbering peacefully as the light from the day faded and lit the darkened skies with twinkling life.

Judy looked out her window propping her jaw in her paw as the stars flickered. Her ears jet up as a ping went off and she turned back in her chair seeing he had left another message. “Still there Carrots? Where would you like to start?”

Bucky and Pronk sat up from their couch and glanced at each other before looking at the wall and grinning. “She’s laughing!” Pronk whispered excitedly as he smiled.

“Shush, shush!” Bucky motioned with a paw as he turned on the couch pressing his ear to the wall before Pronk stuck his cheek against the wallpaper and they both looked at each other wide eyed and blinking as their faces fell.

“Did you see someone else go in there?” Pronk asked and Bucky shook his head keeping his ear to the faded green paper. “It sounds like a guy! I can barely make out his voice though.”

Bucky turned on the couch and shook his head. “Let them have some privacy my little apricot. At least she is happy tonight and not alone. Neither am I.”

Pronk’s ears flipped back to him in a lowered tip as he raised his brows. Bucky curled his arm around him as he raised both cheeks in a shocked expression before he gasped as he was pulled off the couch and being held bridal style with a sneaky smirk. He wrapped his arms around his mate’s neck smiling playfully as he ticked his eyes back to the wall. “I think she needs to have company more often.”

Bucky hefted him a little making him chirp and he giggled as he shook his head. “Yeah, stop thinking about them, I have other things on my mind.” Pronk nodded as he bit his lip, the sound of Judy’s laughter fading as Bucky carried him into the adjacent bedroom and closed the door with his foot.

Judy shifted in her chair wiping her eyes as the screen icons bounced. Moving as quickly as her chest was jostling with laughter she typed after he had finished the story shaking her head. “You did not do that!”

There was a pause on the motion of the little dots before it came back with, “Yes, yes I did. I left him standing there covered in fruit juice and his jaw was on the floor after he understood I was not going to help him clean up the mess he made just because I was being friendly after he tried to drown me in the stuff.”

Judy giggled again as she shook her head. “Serves him right for trying to make you look bad when he was the one who was trying to sell the stuff that would have made mammals sick. You didn’t get into trouble for it, being the sales mammal?”

“No, I had another friend at the time who knew what was going on. I just wasn’t going to let him put anything out there that people thought I had something to do with and get in trouble for it. It wasn’t my fault he fell into his own trap. The guy gives all weasels a bad name. It probably wasn’t very nice of me to just leave him like that though.”

Judy shook her head as she let her fingers rush over the keyboard. “Well it wasn’t like he was being nice to begin with. Karma has a way of biting someone in the tail like that and I know first paw.”

“Oh? Do tell little bunny.”

Judy scoffed as she rolled her eyes. “Well aside from you, and me having that bite me? I had a childhood bully where there was a bit of a similarity to your story.”

“A bully? You are comparing yourself to a bully?”

Judy cringed and cinched her shoulders up. “I am really Sorry. But yes, he was not very friendly and he loved to torture me and my friends.”

“No need to keep saying you are sorry, Carrots. I get you were having a bad day after you kind of explained it. Sounds as if you were out of your comfort zone. Maybe you should think about a different job? What happened with your bully?”

She shook her head frowning. “That is my problem. No one thinks I can do my job and I am determined to prove them wrong. As for Gideon, well it was an accident. We got off on the wrong foot after a carnival when I got the tickets he had stolen from my friends back. It started a bit of a rivalry between us. He was still teasing me and picking on me and my friends a few years later. He got embarrassed pretty bad when I outdid him in a competition we were having at another fair. He said I was just a dumb carrot farming bunny and was too small to beat him at an apple throwing contest.”

“I take it you did, beat him?”

“It isn’t a very nice memory to tell and not one I care to think on very often.”

“Please tell me about it. I can tell you something a little more...personal if it would help? It can be a way to help build more trust?”

Judy cringed as she sighed, “It isn’t that I don’t trust you. It is more like… I am not very proud of that either. It isn’t so much that I did something wrong, I just got too…involved in an attitude I shouldn’t have had at the time.”

“Well, seems you do that when you get emotional. You said it was a trait of your species, but I’m not sure what you mean. When I was a kit, I wanted to be a Junior Ranger Scout. That didn’t work out very well for me either because I was the only predator. It wasn’t the kind of pack I wanted to be part of in the long run and worked out better for me not joining. So maybe there is a light at the end of your tunnel too? You beat him, yes?”


	5. Brighter Path

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sia; Broken Glass

Judy puffed her cheeks out and hit the keys again. “Not to brag but yes, and then some. He got angry and was throwing a tizzy. Wound up knocking into one of the tables when he tried to swing at me and it tipped over covering him in the apple sauce they were making. It was still hot and he got burnt and had to go to the hospital. I felt horrible and went to see him. I thought he would be angry, but instead he freaked me out and was crying. It was the first time anyone saw him be anything but mean and angry. He told me he was sorry. That he had always liked me and was jealous because I had been better at things than he was. He said he wasn’t good at anything. I ended up telling him he was really good with fruit. He laughed and said it liked him too. Now he is one of the best bakers in the Tri-burrows and works with my parents farm using their fruit to make his pies.”

“Well, it sounds like everything turned out right in the end.” Judy yawned as she rested her elbows on the table. The room was warm and she hadn’t been so comfortable in a long while as her lids kept getting heavier. “Carrots, you know you don’t have to prove to everyone else you can do something, when you know you already can? You wound up with a friend from that and it didn’t start out great either.”

“Gideon is a good fox and a good friend. Being a cop is what I have dreamed of since I was a kit. Not even my parents wanted me to try. I have to ask, how are we going to talk if you…can’t talk though?”

“Oh, I will figure out something I’m sure you will understand. Can you play charades? You like movies, right? I think I have an idea. Wait…Your friend Gideon was the bully…a fox? And you are a cop? You are…the first bunny cop…you are Judy Hopps?!”

“Yeah.” She typed in as her jaw split in another wide yawn. Her head fell into the crook of her folded arm on top of the desk as the icons bounced again.

“You know you have already proved them wrong just by becoming a cop, right?...... Hello? Carrots?” The room lit brightly as the fox appeared. His head ticked to one side as he leaned over the desk and smiled watching her nose wiggle as one arm hung loosely and he chuckled silently as drool started pooling under her chin. He reached over to the bed pulling off a small throw and wrapping it around her shoulders. He caught himself as his finger ran along her cheek and stood blinking before looking back at the screen again. A light brush of his paw along her ears and she tightened her arm under her head grinning as his pads ran along the fur of her ears. Nick looked back to the screen and her, smiling softly. A glance at the clock and he cringed before leaving a final message. “I will see you tomorrow at the Polar Line Skating Rink at eight o clock. Please bring some skates if you have them. Goodnight Judy, have sweet dreams. Hula Green.” The words sprang up on the screen without his lips moving or fingers touching the keys. Another flash illuminated the room as she curled her arm around her head again and he was gone as quickly as he had appeared.

Finnick stretched his arms looking at the screen and stood straight as it started glowing again. He closed his eyes wincing at the bright flash and looked up to see Nick standing there with his shades on. A quick raise of his eyebrows and the red fox shot him a smirk that had him spreading another smile across his face. He frowned as the tod in front of him shook his head and he jumped forward as his knees wobbled, catching his arm as he braced the desk to keep himself from falling forward. Finnick looked up at him worriedly and was met with another sharp smile as Nick shook his head in a motion that had his sunglasses slipping on his nose. He grabbed them quickly as he stood again. Finnick kept a concerned eye on him as he made his way to an old mattress not far from the desk. The red fox almost fell onto it before he curled into a ball and Finnick approached him warily holding a paw up pads showing as Nick looked up at him. He shook his head still smiling and closed his eyes as he pulled the shades from his face, dropping them on the floor and letting his tail swish over his face as Finnick relaxed watching him fall asleep.

The little fox looked at his paw and was chewing his cheek as he stepped closer to the old mattress. He reached to the red fox and jolted as a dark crimson paw caught his and a pair of emerald eyes cracked open with slit pupils in a harsh low growl. Finnick turned his head sighing as the red fox kept an angry scowl on him. “I know how much that takes outta ya Nick! You can let me help!” Nick let his scowl fade into a knowing smile as Finnick’s ears ticked and he looked back to the screen seeing the letters fly over the open page before he glanced back and found Nick smiling at him in an understanding nod.

He huffed as he pulled out of the larger fox’s grasp and jumped back to the screen looking it over. “I do need your help Finn. Not like this. She will be on vacation for the next two weeks. It is going to take everything I have to keep talking to her before I have to leave, one way or another, and I don’t know what it is going to take to get her to see me. You have done enough in that department already. You are going to have to keep me on point and her out of trouble. I need you to keep your strength and not be wasting it when all I need right now is to rest. Talk to the cat for me again.” Finnick rolled his eyes and fell back into the chair he had jumped in as Nick rolled over. His red tail curled over his muzzle as his jaw split in a wide arching yawn that had his tongue lolling out of his mouth before he was buried in his own fur. Finnick looked off in thought grumbling before he closed the page and pulled up another link. He typed in a message and hit send before leaving it and returning to his van as daylight started breaking over the horizon.

Clawhauser let the toothbrush hang from his maw as the chirp from his computer hit his ears sending them flicking forward as he peeked out his bathroom door. He finished his teeth and ran the brush under water as he swished his mouth and spit in the sink before grabbing a towel and wiping his muzzle as he sat at his chair. His cheeks lifted and he giggled as he rested his cheek in his paw. “She’s gonna be late. Was up all night talking to Hula, they’re meeting at the park in Tundra Town tonight. You were right. There is still something there. Nick said she almost said the same things word for word. Quit smiling stupid. This aint even started yet.” Clawhauser laughed as he grabbed his tie and threw it over his neck, adjusting it in the mirror before he made his way out the door and trekked the few blocks to the station. Once behind his desk he was biting into a jelly filled pastry as Bogo walked through the lobby from the morning assignments and looked around before narrowing his eyes on the feline.

Bogo lifted a finger and then stopped before shaking his head as Clawhauser chuckled. “Don’t care,” the bull muttered before he paced up the stairs.

The friendly cat was in a lively conversation with a few officers around his desk and Wolford and Delgato both raised their brows as their nostrils flared. Clawhauser sat up and all of them were looking at the door as it swung open. They stepped away ticking their eyes between it and Clawhauser as Judy panted holding it open and he giggled at her as her face curled to a frown. Bogo stepped to the side of the railing looking at his officers who seemed to be stuck in place as Clawhauser kept laughing. “Get back to work!”

Delgato and Wolford sprang their steps up the stairs passing the bull as Bogo eyed the door with narrowed eyes. Judy cringed as she hopped to Clawhauser and let her ears fall as the cat leaned over his desk grinning at her. “Do you think he will let me make up the hours this afternoon since I wasn’t here this morning?” She whispered as Bogo stopped at the foot of the stairs. Clawhauser looked up from her and back to Bogo as he raised a paw with one finger up. He rolled his eyes as Clawhauser ticked his eyes back and forth between them before deflating and grumbling as he turned back the stairs. “Again, Don’t Care.” Clawhauser looked back to see Judy smiling and hopping up and down before she rushed out the doors letting it swing wide before she rushed down the stairs. Bogo got to the top of the stairs and watched Delgato and Wolford leaning over the safety glass watching as they kept their voices low.

“Did you get a whiff of that?” Wolford asked as he looked down at the closing door and Delgato nodded.

“Yeah, smelled like a fox today. Late too.”

Bogo’s paw stopped before gripping the handle of his door and his ear flicked as he froze. He shook his head and curled his lip as he grabbed the knob. “Nope, don’t care. Don’t care….” He landed in his desk chair looking at the photos on his wall and rubbed his head as he tried not to think…. “Don’t care, don’t care…Don’t start caring….”

He grabbed his horns around his ears exerting a sharp pressure trying to relieve the tension headache he could feel building in his neck before slamming a paw to the intercom. “CLAWHAUSER!” The cat jerked before he was rushing up the stairs to the door and opened it panting with red cheeks as the bull glared at him and motioned to the chair. Clawhauser huffed as he took a seat folding his paws in his lap as he continued to get his breathing under control. The bull pursed his lips up in a tight frown as he looked back to the wall. Clawhauser’s eyes followed the same path and he relaxed into the chair grinning as he raised both brows. “He never left did he?”

Clawhauser shook his head and the smile he was wearing dropped to a hidden curve as he looked up from a lowered chin. Bogo sighed as he rubbed his temples again. “Will it help her get over it?” he asked shaking his head.

“I think it is the only way she will, Sir. If he can get to her and….”

The bull stuck his paw up flat and Clawhauser stopped as he tipped back in his chair. “I am not going to even try to understand any of it. As long as it doesn’t cause me any more problems, I don’t care.”

Clawhauser sat up giddily almost bouncing as he gripped the chair excitedly. “You remember she is on vacation for the next two weeks, right?” The bull looked up from under his paw with raised brows curiously as the cheetah glowed in a bright smile. “Well she refused to take one last year. I told her she didn’t have a choice. It is mandatory in the pawbook for all officers, Sir.”

Bogo looked back to the wall and a smile split his face as he let his paw drop to the desk. “She does like following the rules, doesn’t she?”

Clawhauser laughed as he nodded. “She does, Sir.”

“Very well, very well indeed.” Bogo laughed as he looked back at the cat who was still giggling. “Dismissed.”

Clawhauser took his leave and returned to his desk happily munching doughnuts again as Wolford peeked around the corner. “Psst! Hey Claw?” The cheetah turned with a doughnut hanging from his maw and Wolford laughed as he blinked a few times. “What time is Hopps supposed to be back? She’s not following her normal schedule today.”

Clawhauser narrowed his eyes on the wolf as he threw his paws up in defense. “I’m not going to cause problems! Really! Patty would love to see her and has been dying for me to be able to set it up so they can meet.”

The cat rolled his eyes as he swallowed his bite and set his treat down before he deadpanned the wolf. “Not funny Wolfy. You know how she feels about that.”

“No really?” Wolford curled his lip as he shook his head sarcastically. “She wants to meet her. Is a really big fan.”

Clawhauser slumped as he shook his head. “She is making up hours from the shift she missed this morning. I would say around six she will be back if she isn’t preoccupied.”

“Preoccupied?” Wolford asked and tipped his ears forward blinking as Clawhauser looked the other direction. “NO WAY? SHE MET SOMEONE?” Clawhauser tried to keep his smile hidden but his face was as easy at revealing his thoughts as a child’s puzzle book and Wolford jumped to the desk beaming as his tail wagged behind him. “COME ON! YOU TELL EVERYTHING ELSE! PATTY WOULD WANT TO KNOW!”

Clawhauser cupped his paws over his muzzle giggling as he shook his head. “I’m not telling this.”

Wolford frowned at him playfully as he stuck his nose in the air. “Killjoy. I gotta call Patty and tell her to meet me here. Later Clawhauser.”

The cat chuckled again as the wolf walked off meeting Delgato at the doors. He grabbed another doughnut and looked up at the clock on the wall sighing as he chomped into a powdery covered confection. He looked down catching sight of his forgotten jelly filled and grabbed it, stuffing the powdered doughnut into his mouth and licking his lips after swallowing it almost whole. “Oh, I did not forget about such a sweet little morsel! Come here you little Dickins!” He bit into it savoring the sweet raspberry and looking at the clock again as he melted into his chair. “Only a few hours and Judy will be back. I hope she has a good day.”

Judy bounced around another meter and was happily humming as her ears swiveled back again. She turned still half scribbling in her pad as Finnick laughed from the corner of the building he was leaning into. The bunny shook her head as she rolled her eyes and stuck it in her back pocket again.

“JUDY HOPPS?” She turned with a cocked ear and looked around not seeing anyone as his voice sounded out again. She shook her head and let her brow drop as she caught sight of a dark furred mammal shaking his head as he looked over the paper in his paw and wrestled with the package he was holding in brown paper. She could barely make out his mumbling over the traffic and rushing cars as the otter shook his head again and looked at the paper before scratching his head. “This makes no sense at all.” He mumbled and shrugged as he stuck the package on a window sill before turning and walking the other way.

“Otterton?” she tried to call out as he slipped around the corner. The sound of a blaring horn had her ears pinned to her head as she started to sprint that direction and Finnick had stepped away from the building watching curiously and grinning when he caught her try to call out to him. She reached the window looking at the brown paper that had her name sprawled on it in fancy calligraphy before picking it up and her nose twitched as the scent of roses hit her. She unwrapped it biting her lip to find several long stemmed red roses wrapped in green leafy branches with baby’s breath cresting the red petals. A small green slip of paper laid on top of them and Finnick chuckled as he watched her cheeks light in a soft blush as she bit her lip.

“Hello Carrots. I hope you are having a better day at work, but just in case, thought these might help a little. Looking forward to our ‘Date’ tonight.”


	6. Collide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corey Hart; Sunglasses at Night

Finnick leaned back with a wide smile as she bounced a little cradling them to her chest as she giggled. The small fox’s eyes lit up as she rushed back to him and he was chuckling as she hurriedly asked him for a ride back to the station. “You in a hurry cottontail? Technically I thought ya was supposed to stay another hour to make up for what ya missed earlier.”

Her ears dropped and she chewed her lip looking around nervously before she huffed and shrugged. “Not like they really care about a few missed parking tickets. Technically I’m already on vacation and I think Bogo will let me make up the time again if it is a problem, but I kinda want to go home a little early today.”

He raised a brow at her looking at the brown paper and tipping on his toes as a knowing pucker of his lips had her blushing heavily. “Aint never seen you leave early, or show up late. Ya got plans tonight I take it?”

She turned to him still fighting the burning of her cheeks and he laughed as she let her face drop into a suspicious grin. “Aight, I aint askin’…this time. But come on. I’ll give ya a ride anyway.” Judy waited and tilted her head as his van rumbled from around the corner of a dark alley. Her nose was twitching as the muffler backfired and she jumped as the loud bang caught her off guard. The little fox smirked and shrugged as he motioned to the door with a tilt of his head before she reluctantly climbed in and let the flowers rest over her legs as he pulled away from the curb.

She looked into the back crinkling her nose and turned to see him peeking at her as they stopped at an intersection. “You…. live in this van?” 

Finnick nodded as he took a breath. “Life aint easy and sometimes ya make do with what ya got. Had an accident a couple of years ago. Kinda got lost and this was the only place I had left.” He shrugged as he pulled to the precinct and turned to see her looking at the floor as her ears drooped behind her head. “It aint no big deal. Just happens sometimes ya know.”

She nodded and curled an arm under the brown paper as she reached for the door handle. “I didn’t mean to pry Finnick. I just didn’t know you lived in the thing.”

The fox chuckled as he shook his head. “I’m surprised you knew about the thing at all, but ya obviously have been payin more attention than I thought.” She looked at the floor again guiltily as he shook his head and snapped her attention back to him as he ruffled the paper in her paws. “Don’t let it get ya too down. I love the old Beast, call her a Beast but she’s my baby. She takes care of me and I take care of her. Don’t pay no rent, aint got to worry about neighbors or someone bargin in tellin me how to live. Besides, I think ya got happier things to think on right now anyway.”

Judy tipped up smiling as his paw left the brown paper. “Yeah, I just have to hand in my tickets before I leave and walk back to my apartment so I can get ready.” Finnick’s ears shot up as she pulled out a single rose and looked it over.

“Well, leave the flowers in my van then, I can drive ya wherever ya gotta go. Aint got nothin to do tonight and since you…saved me, maybe I can return a bit of the favor. I’ll even wait while ya get ready if ya want a ride.”

Judy looked at him a bit shocked as he shrugged smiling. “B-but it’s in Tundra Town. I’m not even sure where it is. Some old park with a skating rink.” She blinked as his eyes lit up and sat up looking him over funny as he laughed.

“Aint nowhere I don’t know in Zootopia. Ya wanting to get to the Polar Park you’re gonna need a ride anyway. Buses don’t go out that far. Cause most of the bears and mammals who go there walk and there’s only a small little road that leads into it anyway. Would take you forever to walk that far from the bus stop that is the closest.”

Judy blinked as he looked out the window in a cocky chuckle. The little fox jolted as she almost jumped over the seat wrapping her arms around him and relaxed shaking his head as she shot from the van and rushed into the precinct.

Clawhauser’s head popped up from his paper work and caught Delgato gaping as the little bunny in front of him waved a red rose in his face. “Hi Delgato! I hope you are having a good day!”

The large tigers jaw hung loosely as he ticked his eyes to Clawhauser and the cheetah laughed nodding. “She won’t bite you Del.”

The tiger blinked before he stuck his large fingers around the stem. “T-Thank you.” He said weakly and stood looking it over as Wolford watched flat faced from a few steps behind him.

Judy bounced to the desk happily shoving her papers into Clawhauser’s paw before rushing back out the door and the wolf shook his head looking at the clock and back to the large tiger as the door swung open and closed when she rushed out it again. “You suck.” Wolford griped in a low growl as Delgato stared at the rose. 

They both looked back to see Clawhauser laughing and the wolf turned back to the tiger and found him grinning in a manner that made him look all the predator he was as he chuckled. “She likes me better than you and Patty is going to kill you.”

“She shouldn’t like you at all and she was early! It’s not my fault she missed her!” The wolf narrowed his eyes as the tiger smiled threateningly. “Don’t you dare tell her Hopps gave you that thing!” The tiger looked up and the wolfs jaw fell as he trained the same way catching the camera that was on them before his head fell in despair. “Yep, she’s gonna kill me alright.” Bogo stepped out from behind the desk as he kept walking from a lower office and adjusted his glasses looking up from his file as he heard Delgato laughing loudly and saw Wolford shaking his head as he closed his eyes sighing. He looked back to see Clawhauser sitting there with a dreamy look on his face as he stared out the door. Bogo jumped as a loud bang shot through the air and blinked as he watched Wolford and Delgato glance at each other nervously before he turned to see Clawhauser’s face fall. The bull shook his head and went back to the stairs as they all ticked their eyes between each other. Clawhauser shrugged as he returned to his paperwork leaving Delgato staring at the rose as Wolford walked to the glass doors.

The van backfired shortly after she had hopped in and Finnick chuckled as she jolted in her seat. “One of these days I’ll get that fixed. Just need to adjust the spark plugs, maybe check the valve.” Judy nodded timidly looking out the window and catching Wolford tilting his head as she waved at him before Finnick turned the corner. Her apartment was only a few blocks from the precinct and she looked up at the building as Finnick parked, shaking her head as the curtains from her open window fluttered in the breeze. “I’d close that before you leave. There’s supposed to be a rain cycle tonight. Kinda rare for this district but it’s been hot.” Judy nodded looking back at him as she clutched the brown paper and he shook his head grinning. I aint got no plans. Take your time.”

Judy nodded gratefully as she jumped out of the car and rushed through the doors stomping up the stairs to her apartment. She rushed through the door peeling out of her uniform before digging through her closet and tossing several articles of clothing around before her brow set in a line as the thought of being in the cold made her shiver. She stopped and paced back to her desk, sitting and caught the message that she hadn’t had time to read thoroughly when she rushed out after waking up late. Skates? I don’t know if I still have those things…or if I brought them here from bunny burrow. She looked through her closet curling her brow in thought before tossing out the bottom box that covered the few memories she had brought and opened another lid as she bit her lip with relief. She had brought the old skates she almost coveted in her teen years when she had used the ice as a source to vent her frustrations and needed to be very physical as a source of stress relief. She lifted them inspecting their condition and smiled as she grabbed a thick long sleeved black sweater and a pair of warm tights she pulled on.

She bounced out the door letting it slam as she let the skates dangle from her shoulder and rushed down the stairs. Finnick turned as she hopped in, peeling his eyes from the young vixen who was bouncing down the side walk in a quick jog. His lips curled up and Judy rolled her eyes as he gave her a nod of approval on her attire and appearance. “Dressed to impress aint cha?” he asked smartly as he turned the key. “Black is definitely your color.” The little fox kept chuckling as she played with her ears nervously until he pulled down a snowy path she was eyeing as the tires crunched into the snow. “She won’t get stuck, too heavy.” Finnick barked as she narrowed her eyes on him. “I also know how to drive her.” Judy rolled her eyes again as he bounced his brows laughing. When he pulled up to a well cleaned path, she looked down the hill at the white building and her ears rose as snow billowed around the open top. She turned back to Finnick as he snickered. “Doesn’t need to be enclosed when it’s this cold all the time. The walls are just to keep mammals out after hours so there is no chance anyone falls through the ice without someone knowing about it.” Judy nodded before jumping out and turned after closing the door. “I’ll be here. I got a nice soft mattress in the back, think I’ll take a nap while I wait.”

She rubbed her paws along her arms shivering as she frowned at him and he laughed as he shook his head. “Built in heater Bunny. All I gotta do is flip the switch back there. I’ll be fine. Go have some fun will ya?” Judy laughed as she shook her head and turned rolling her eyes as he started crawling into the back. The doe walked down the path taking a seat on a bench as she waited and her ears set as a loud clack went off and all the lights in the park went out.

She turned nervously after hearing several deep voices and watched as two large polar bears left the doors of the rink and walked the other way. It’s closing? Why would he ask me to come here after the place is closed? She stood looking back at Finnick’s van and sighed as she let her eyes drop. I guess he got me back for being such a jerk to him. The fur on the back of her neck stood on end and she curled her arms around herself shivering as a scratching sound caught her ears. She turned and caught a shadow moving against the darkened wall of the rink. Her ears set and eyes squinted as she tried to make out the shape she could see moving around. She let her shoulders drop as the tree finally came into view and grasped the strings of the skates hanging over her shoulder as she accepted the fact she had been stood up.

The doe gasped as she turned, falling back after she had thumped into the chest of another mammal. She looked up wide eyed with one paw in front of her as he looked down at her with a hurt expression and she scrambled back on the snow as his lips curled into an angry snarl and fingers wound out towards her with extended claws. Her jaw fell open and she narrowed her eyes as he doubled over clutching his guts in a silent laugh before he was pointing at her. “YOU JERK!” she cried as she grabbed a pawful of snow and hurled it at him. It thumped him right in the neck and the fox stopped laughing and turned his head at her before an evil smile had Judy gulping as he dropped bouncing on his knees and started gathering snow in front of himself.

The red fox was a little difficult to see in the low light remaining in the park but the sight of the Hawaiian green shirt and a brightly colored purple lei of flowers around his neck had her laughing as she scrambled back again. “Hula!? I thought you stood me up!” she laughed as she darted behind a bench and heard him growling playfully as she peeked over the back. Her eyes flew open as a snowball flew right at her. She ducked barely avoiding it as half of it smacked into the bench while the other half was split and flew over her head. She jumped from behind the bench with an ornery grin and blinked as she was knocked to the ground when a snowball hit her square in the chest. The doe looked up stunned as a dark red paw reached down to help her up and she took it smiling as he helped her stand again. She cocked her head looking him over and reached for his sunglasses, a little surprised he nearly jerked away clutching them to his face as she touched the rim. “How can you see anything? Why are you wearing sunglasses when it is so dark out here? I can barely see.” He chuckled silently and she watched as he pulled out a phone and pressed a few buttons before her ears shot up at the beat of Corey Harts, I wear my sunglasses at night.

Her head flew back in laughter as he bounced with it and spun throwing his paws out grinning at her before he wound one paw and acted as if he was holding something bigger than his phone in the other. “Oh my Gods! That is how you are going to talk to me?” she asked giggling as he nodded and shoved his phone back in his pocket. “Yeah, I got the movie reference there Slick. Guess you are a transformers fan?” He scrunched his muzzle up in what she could only assume meant disapproval as he made some fleeting motions with his paws and then balled his fist at his ears. “Bumble bee?” she asked and he nodded eagerly as she giggled again. “I guess you like Disney better?” He nodded as she kept laughing. “He is a transformer you know. You must have a lot of music if you plan on having conversations like that.” The fox shrugged and held a paw out as if asking her to accompany him and he dropped it sticking his arm out instead. Judy stepped to him slowly almost questioning the motion until he wiggled his elbow and she laughed taking it before he was leading her down the path.


	7. Slip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alan Walker; Faded

Finnick stuck his head out the window chuckling as Nick let Judy wrap around his arm. The little fox tipped over the seat as he heard a soft sigh and jumped out watching Nick standing with her in front of the doors of the rink. He walked to the bench and found Clawhauser swooning before he hopped onto the bench beside him. “Thanks Benjamin.”

The cheetah looked over and down and sighed again as he returned his attention to the fox and bunny. “Like I would have said no.” He said a little too happily and Finnick chuckled as he nodded. “Still, I’ve had a hard time lying about all this, but I understand it so that made it easier.” Finnick nodded as he leaned back on the bench and looked back to his van longingly. “I got here on my own Finn. I’d like to leave for home the same way.” The small fox jerked his attention back and found the friendly cat with a glowing smile as he looked down. The twinkle in his eyes was enough to make the small fox return the same affectionate look before they both returned to watching.

Judy’s ears sprang up as Nick motioned to the doors of the rink. “It’s closed.” The fox pulled his phone out and stuck up a finger for her to wait as he scrolled through a few things and stuck his paw in his pocket digging through its contents and the jingling had her watching curiously. The tune started playing and she could see his whole face morph to horror as he yanked his other paw from his pocket and fumbled with the phone before he dropped it in the snow smacking a paw to his head as she laughed so hard she was crying. The few lyrics she had caught had mentioned falling in love and sweet scenes of surrender along with a few broken pieces about doing it all and being a hero to her leading lady.

Nick looked up at her unamused as she continued to laugh and snatched his phone from the snow wiping it on his shirt after turning the music off. “Aww,” she teased as he stuffed his paw in his pocket. “I like Key Largo! I guess that wasn’t the song you were looking for hu?” Nick looked back at her and she could barely make out one of his brows going up as he yanked his paw from his pocket jingling a set of keys at her before sticking one in the lock and opening the door. She laughed again as he stuck his phone in his pocket making a sour face as his tongue stuck out. “If you don’t like the song why do you have it?” He waved a paw into the entrance and she looked around with her nose wiggling and a confused expression as he shook his head. “You’re not going to explain that or the keys, are you?” she asked and huffed as he grinned and shook his head again. She braced the strings on the skates as she nodded and walked through the doors. He motioned to a set of benches and pointed to her skates before looking off and sticking a finger in the air for her to wait. She nodded taking a seat and wrestling to get them on as he disappeared. She was lacing up the thick snake leather as he reappeared on wobbling legs. A smile spread as he stumbled across the floor and caught himself on a wall. “You have never been ice skating, have you?” She asked and giggled as he stuck a paw in the air with one finger held high. “You’ve only done this once?”

He let out a heavy breath as she walked to him and he looked her over letting his brow drop in confusion. “You thought since you had been skating once you might like to try to show me, right? I’ve been doing this since I was a little kit. These are my skates. I didn’t have to rent them or borrow them from someone.” She could almost see his eyes roll behind his shades as he shook his head. The fox flipped a switch and dim lights came up around the inside of the rink, a low hum indicating the larger lights needed time to build before they turned on. She watched him step onto the ice and slide out away from the walls motioning for her to join him before her foot hit the solid ice and she flew towards him. She slid to a stop sending ice shavings into the air as he waved his paws glaring at her. “I’m a show off?” she asked a little too sweetly as he deadpanned her. A loud click went off and she jerked as the lights came on when he slammed his paws over his shades and stumbled. He caught his balance again and his ears stayed pinned to his head when she got closer watching him wince in a whine almost too low to hear. “Are your eyes that sensitive to light?”

He stood up huffing and shook his head as he adjusted his glasses and she could see him trying to keep his eyes covered a little more as he managed a smile and shrugged. “We don’t have to stay here. We can go somewhere else if you want to.” Nick snorted and pointed to himself before motioning around the rink and she rolled her eyes in understanding that he had chosen the place. He held a paw out and she looked him over as she grasped his fingers. An odd sensation flew through her arm that sent chills down her spine but it faded with his smile as her eyes flew open when the world around them spun. She came to a stop suddenly as she looked him over and her eyes narrowed as he stood there like he had just won a medal. “You lied to me!?” The fox’s head flew back in another silent laugh as she narrowed her eyes. “Oh yeah?” His head snapped back to her as a maniacal smile lit her face and her head dropped as her ears fell tightening against her neck. “Let’s see how good you are fox.”

Nick grabbed his pant legs yanking them up and lowering his frame on his knees. Her ears jet up in glee as he motioned with a paw to come at him. She shot forward and her eyes flew open as he spun, grabbing her around the waste and hurling her into a triple axel. She hit the ice giggling and spun several times coming to a stop and squeaking as he rushed her. The wind caught her ears and she looked up to see him looking down at her with a smirk she swore no one else would ever be able to manage as they both turned in sync sliding backwards on the ice together. She let her head rest on his chest as their legs swayed back and forth, getting lost in how they seemed to fit together and moved as if they were built like a set of salt and pepper shakers with snapping pieces. The doe turned as he swung her out and another spin had her lifted above his head looking down at his shades as his teeth glistened from the lights shining all around them. The fox let her drop, catching her as he spun again, both of them locked in a spin she propelled them through using her legs as she folded them tighter.

They came to a quick stop throwing shaved ice from their skates and she was giggling up at him as he raised a brow smiling back at her. “And you say I’m a showoff?” Nick shrugged silently chuckling as she shook her head. He motioned back to the building and the open section where several tables and a variety of sized chairs sat and Judy took his cue before they were both gliding over and taking seats. He motioned to the inner part of the rink and she turned seeing the concession stands where there were a variety of foods to choose from. She turned back shaking her head as he waited. “I’m not really hungry tonight. There isn’t anyone there to fix anything anyway.” His brows went up as he pulled the keys out jingling them and she rolled her eyes. “I’m sure you could fix something, but I’m really not hungry. Thank you for asking though.” The red fox curled his brow down as she looked off and he tipped his head as the blush in her ears brightened. “Thank you for the roses. They are beautiful.”

She looked back to see him grinning and could tell he was watching her intently even if she couldn’t see his eyes. The fox’s chest bounced and she rolled her eyes at the amusement he was getting out of flustering her. “I think I will take that out of your hide.” His brows shot up and he smiled again motioning to the ice as if issuing a challenge. She stood tipping her head back and forth cockily, almost tipping forward as he shot past her in a blur. He looked back at her with a one sided smirk and tipped his head slightly. It was all she needed for a little more incentive as they started chasing each other all over the ice. Nick bounced off one of the outer walls chuckling as she slid past him when she had tried to shove him playfully. The fox dropped his head as she spun and met her half way, both of them stopping in a standoff as her feet braced against the ice again. They both went full throttle, Nick expecting her to try and jump again, lowered his frame slightly and had his paws out in anticipation of catching her as she shot forward with another push off the ice. The tods eyes went wide as her gaze dropped and his jaw fell open as she crouched lower than he thought possible. He spun after making an odd sharp chirp and held his paws over his groin after she had slid between his legs, her ears barely missing anything vital.

He spun to a stop gaping at her as she turned on the ice, looking back at his shocked face and the awkward stance he had taken to protect his…person, with his paws braced over his front and his tail covering his mid-section. She laughed as he just stood there in shock at the move and squeaked as he shot forward chasing after her again. After they had sufficiently exhausted themselves and each other Nick motioned to the clock on the wall and Judy noted the time, sighing as she agreed she probably should go home. He walked her back out and she stopped looking up the hill spotting Finnick’s van still sitting where it had been. “I have a ride. I think he could probably take you home if I asked. Do you need a ride?”

Nick smiled shaking his head and motioned back to the open doors. “Oh, I guess you need to lock up?” He nodded as she bit her lip and blinked as he grabbed her paw. “Will you at least walk me up there?” Nick smirked and let her wrap around his arm again as they climbed the hill to the large van.

When they got there Judy tapped the hood and it only took a second to see the small fox’s ears pop up between the seats. He jumped out leaving his door open and yawned as he finally got in front of it. Judy pointed and Finnick blinked as Nick smirked down at him. “This is my friend Finnick,” Judy started to speak and Finnick snickered as he pointed at the red fox.

“Nick Wilde.” He stated before he was leaning into his van with a paw. Judy looked back to see him shrug.

“Your name is Nick Wilde? You know him Finnick?”

Finnick snickered as he shook his head. “More like he knows everyone.” She looked back at the red fox grinning. “Well I know your name now. Guess I don’t have to call you Hula anymore?” Nick chuckled as he took the lei from around his neck and hung it around hers, smirking as they lit up when he pulled them from under the necklace. Finnick chuckled and she punched the red fox in the arm. She was laughing as he rubbed the spot miming an ‘Ow!’

The red fox grabbed her paw and all she could do was blink as he left a light kiss on the top of her paw before he was walking back down the hill towards the open doors of the rink. Judy turned blushing again as Finnick laughed, jumping into his van and she brushed it off before joining him.

As the van pulled away, she ticked her eyes to the little fox and found him grinning in a cocky fashion. When she opened her mouth all he did was shake his head and utter the word - “Nope.” She shook her head as she watched the scenery fly by, thinking it must be a fox thing about not explaining certain details. Either way she knew she wasn’t going to get any information about the red fox named Nick Wilde from the Finnick as he pulled up to her apartment building. Judy thanked him and he nodded, watching her get into her building before leaving. The doe rushed up the stairs and her door slammed almost as fast as her back and weight had caused it to move when she leaned against it. “Nick Wilde. A red fox. I went on a date with a red fox.” She bounced up and down fist bumping the air as she laughed. She stopped as the facts registered and her eye twitched as she looked at the screen still sitting open on her desk. “Oh, my gods my parents are going to have a fit!”

Finnick drove back to the warehouse and jumped from his van. He opened the old door listening to the creaking hinges as he looked around. “Nick?” His ears shot up as a voice echoed through the darkness. Finnick, I’m in trouble. The little fox felt the fur on his spine rise as he shook his head. “Fuck!” He rushed back to his van and sped all the way back to Tundra Town. Throwing the van into gear before rushing down the hill and through the doors of the rink. Several loud crashes and snarling had him rushing behind the front desk into another area and his nose crinkled at the smell of worn snake leather and sanitizers used to kill anything from the strange feet that had been in them. He jumped as a loud growl raised his ears and turned to see the red fox thrashing and knocking into lockers and shelves as he clutched his head. “Nick!”

The small fox backed a step away as the shades that he kept on his eyes were flung across the room and a pair of slit green pupils landed on him. “Easy, Easy Nick.” He held his paws out in a low voice as he ticked his eyes between two slit green pupils trying to move in a slow manner as the black lips of the fox curled up vibrating over sharp fangs. “Nick! Stop! It’s me!” The red fox lunged on all fours, his teeth snapping in front of Finnick as he stumbled and hit his back into a shelf hard enough that it rocked as he kept his paws up shielding his face and neck. He glanced from between his fingers as a low whine poured through the air and found the fox clutching his head as he rolled over thrashing and kicking at the air with his back feet. He shook his head as he lowered himself. “Sorry Buddy. I know this aint how ya wanted to do this but right now there aint no other choice cause you’re swimmin’ in it now. No point in both of us gettin lost.” Nick rolled again knocking skates from a high shelf and Finnick cringed as they thumped the floor barely missing falling into his head. “HEY FOX!”

Green eyes slashed to him in fury as he puffed his chest out under the black shirt he always wore. “YEAH YOU! YOU AINT NOTHIN! YOU AINT NEVER GONNA BE NOTHIN! NOT EVEN YOUR MAMMA THOUGHT YA COULD BE SOMETHIN!” Nicks eyes narrowed and his eyes lit up white as his pupils became completely vertical lines. “COME ON!” Finnick screamed as loudly as he could. The deep voice resonated off the walls as he locked his jaw and returned the same fierce growl Nick was training on him. They both jumped forward as Nick opened his mouth and Finnick braced as his teeth curled around his neck. He slammed both paws to the sides of his red furred face and a flash blurred out everything solid before the foxes were both thrown away from each other….

Nick shook the fuzz from his head as he gripped his temple and opened his eyes as he leaned up on one arm. He looked around finding the room in perfect order before turning to see Finnick sprawled on the floor. No, no, no, no! he picked up the small fox and rushed from the building, catching the sun coming up over the horizon. The thought made him sprint up the hill as he laid a paw on the hood of the van and closed his eyes. The sun crested the horizon hitting them as he scrunched his muzzle in concentration. The van and both foxes, were gone.


	8. Fade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fauozia; Bad Dreams

Finnick’s head rolled and he cracked his eyes open finding Nick watching him with concern. He tried to sit up and his arms failed him as the red fox shook his head in protest. Finnick huffed as he fell back to the old mattress and rolled his eyes. “You brought us here?” Nick nodded as the smaller fox closed his eyes. “You better now?” The red fox ticked a cheek up opening his arms and smiling as Finnick’s eyes narrowed and shot open. “Where’s my!” Nick rolled his eyes and stood. Opening the large door and Finnick relaxed as the sight of his Beast settled him back on the mattress again.

“It aint fair you can do that ya know. How come I can’t move stuff or…us like you do?” Nick deadpanned him with an upturned lip and swung his arm out towards the van. The small fox looked off grinning and shrugged. “She’s my Beast. My best girl!” Nick shook his head as he took a seat in the chair behind the desk and watched as Finnick struggled to get up. He huffed as the little fox managed to stand and had his legs braced to jump in case he fell over. The smaller fox held a paw up shaking his head as he leaned on the desk looking at the screen. “Not sure I’m gonna be able to do that again anytime soon, least not like that.” Nick curled his lip up narrowing his eyes as Finnick looked at the screen.

“Dumbass.”

“Really now?” He chuckled when the words sprang up across the blank white page as Nick kept a disgruntled eye on him. “Didn’t have much of a choice ya know.” The red fox nodded as he looked off. “What happened? It aint never happened that fast before.”

Nick chewed his lip and Finnick kept his eyes on the screen as the tod stood and paced around, scratching the back of his neck and running his paws over his head. “It’s her. It’s like when I am close to her it stops completely and builds while we are together. But it’s not just being close to her that does it, I think it is…. like the closer we are the worse it gets when she leaves?”

“Aint there something ya can do to keep it from happening after you’re together?” Finnick asked as Nick fell back into the chair and watched him cup his head in his paws before turning back to the screen again.

“I don’t know. But I was right about her being the key to it ending. I will be stuck like that if she doesn’t help, and you….” Finnick looked back to the red fox with a wince. “You shouldn’t have stayed, Finn.”

The small fox shrugged and shook his head looking between him and the screen again. “I wasn’t leavin ya like that.” Nick looked him over with a curled brow and the small fox laughed at him. “Might take some energy to get ya right, but what are friends for?”

The red fox scowled as he shook his head. “You use to much of it like that and you will fade Finn. You know that.”

Finnick stepped away from the screen and sat back on the mattress as he shook his head and leaned back on his arms. “Yeah, yeah. So will you if that keeps up. Still better to be completely gone and never see whatever afterlife there is than to be stuck here and turned into a savage ghost who haunts the world forever. Might as well be some kind of poltergeist or a demon working for old horny himself like that.”

Nick scoffed as Finnick grinned at him and laughed when the red fox stuck his paws beside his head with two fingers extended in an angry face. “You make fun Nick, but we don’t got no idea what comes after this. Might be true all that crap they say about some evil monster without fur and horns who carries around a pitchfork he likes ta prod ya with.” The small fox laughed loudly as Nick puckered his lips and stuck his paws in front of himself imitating a bird’s wings. “Yeah I’d much rather prefer the lovely vixens with wings and a soft pair of…” he fell back laughing as Nick raised both brows before he smacked a paw to his face shaking his head. Finnick wiped his eyes as he sat back up finding Nick staring at the screen with a look of contemplation. “Well, I suppose the only angel you need at the moment comes in the shape of a little gray bunny?” Nick sighed nodding absently. “Got any idea how we are going to go about doing this? Never thought we’d get this close before but if that’s gonna happen every time you two is together we’re gonna have to come up with something pretty well planned out.”

Nick bit his lip looking at the screen. He looked back to the wall behind the small fox and Finnick turned catching sight of the calendar as his shoulders slumped. “I gather we aint got much time left before this is a permanent thing and we’re both stuck like this?” he turned again cringing as Nick held up his fingers. “FOUR DAYS?!” He barked as his face fell. Nick nodded and Finnick curled his lip shaking his head. “How the hell do ya know that?” The red fox frowned looking back out the open door and shook his head as he rubbed his chest. “Ya can feel it?” Nick looked back to him frowning sadly and let his head drop a bit as he tipped his eyes back at the calendar. “The date too? Damn, didn’t realize it had been that long. Suppose the cat told you?” Nick nodded as he leaned back in the chair closing his eyes. “So, what we gonna do about this?” Finnick jumped up coming closer to the desk as Nick ticked his eyes to the screen. A small smile played over his face and Finnick smirked as he nodded. “Already got something in mind don’t cha?” He looked back to the screen grinning as he shook his head. “Risky Nick, especially when she just now seen ya. Did it take a lot to get her there?” Nick scrunched his lips shaking his head. “Not much? That’s kinda surprising but goin’ this fast is gonna be rough on both of us ya know?” The red fox tipped one shoulder and Finnick sighed. “Yeah, I know, what choice have we got?” His ears sprang up as Nick cocked his head curiously watching him. “You didn’t do the thing last night! You went all wild and savage instead of the whole….”

Nicks ears flicked as he looked off and he jerked back as Finnick snatched for his glasses and curled his lip up showing his teeth. “LEMME SEE!” Finnick growled as Nick scrunched his nose up glaring at him. “Come on, ya skipped the whole thing last night and it’s been happening every night since…” Nick turned his head and Finnick could see his eyes close as his brows went down. “Nick, I didn’t mean to….” The red fox curled his lip under fighting the tight feeling in his chest as Finnick let his ears drop behind his head. Nick cupped his head in one paw crinkling his lip as Finnick laid a paw on his. “I won’t bring it up again. Ya said it was always different when ya was with her, even before the…. Nick?”

The red fox shuttered as Finnick turned his head. He looked up as he caught the sight of something gleam and turned finding the silver covered shades held out in front of him as Nick kept one paw covering his eyes. Finnick gently grabbed the shades and placed one paw on Nick’s urging him to move it away as he watched him struggle. He waited patiently as Nick’s paw slowly lowered and was ticking his eyes between his lids as they slowly cracked open. Finnick’s brow lifted into a bright smile as Nick blinked and he jumped from the chair running to the mirror on the wall. His jaw fell as he looked at his reflection and he was grinning before he looked back to see the smaller fox shaking his head. “Almost normal Nick, see if ya can talk!” The red fox managed a few garbled sounds and shook his head looking back at the mirror still smiling. “Guess that’s good enough for now. Cause of bein with her? How long ya think it will last?” Nick shook his head chuckling silently. Finnick bounced back into the chair glancing at the screen before he was laughing. “She aint like us Nick so she can’t really be an angel.”

He looked back to the screen barking again at Nick’s response. “Like we are angels Finn.” Finnick tossed his paws up shielding himself and laughing as the shirt Nick had plucked from the wall landed over his head….

beep, beep, beep, beep, beep……..beep………beep……beeeeeeeeeeeep

^--^--^--^--^--^--^--^---^-------^--------^------^----------------------------------------------------------------------

Judy shot up in her bed panting as she clutched the blanket to her chest. She looked around trying to get her racing heart to slow and trying to remember the dream that had pulled her back to wide awake. The doe puffed her cheeks out shaking her head as the dim morning light was beginning to brighten her room. She tossed off the light cover and threw her legs over the side of the bed stretching her arms in a wide yawn and standing. One glance at her little desk and trying to find the memory was forgotten as she broke into a wide smile. She shook her head and tossed on her jogging suit before she was out the door. Her usual run was plagued with thoughts of a red fox and by the time she had run her usual route she had stopped and shook her head at herself for not being able to get him off her mind. She returned to her apartment and cleaned herself up before changing again and sat at the desk looking at the screen biting her lip. I wonder if he would think I was being…She rolled her eyes at herself as she typed in a quick hello, wondering how long it would take him to get back to her. The doe hopped as a chime went off and was giggling as the icons bounced again.

Nick’s ears flipped up as Finnick turned in the chair raising both brows. The smaller fox turned grinning as Nick rushed back to the desk blinking at the message he had received. “I don’t think this is goin to be as hard as we thought Nick.” He laughed as the red fox waved his arms around trying to get him to move out of the chair and jumped down returning to the old mattress as he continued to chuckle. Nick took a seat and Finnick watched him close his eyes smiling as he let out a deep breath.

“Good morning Carrots.”

Judy bounced in her chair as she set her paws back on the keys. “You’re up? I hope I didn’t wake you.”

Nick chuckled silently as he shook his head. “No, I am actually well rested today and feeling pretty good thanks to a friend. Did you sleep well?”

Judy bit her lip grinning. “I had an unusual dream, but yes, for the most part I did.”

Nick let his face drop as he curled his brow and looked back at Finnick who was still keeping a tipped brow on him. “Unusual dream?”

“I can’t remember it. I just remember I woke up feeling a little …. it doesn’t matter, I guess. I still had fun last night.”

Nick sighed as he closed his eyes. “Would you like to do it again tonight?” he waited chewing on his tongue as a long delay seemed like hours when it had actually only been a minute or two. Judy giggled and looked back at her closet wondering what he had in mind. “What were you thinking this time? I’m not sure I have anything to wear and am sure I can’t pull off having something for another activity like ice skating again.”

Nick chuckled silently as Finnick sat up with perked ears. “Maybe we could try something a little more common? Perhaps a movie and there is a little park outside City Central I think you might like. It caters to night mammals.”

Judy bounced as she looked off to the ceiling. “I’m not really a night mammal. Does that mean there will be things I am not used to being around?”

Nick ticked his head and shrugged as he looked at the screen. “Not really, it is fairly quiet and there are usually not a lot of mammals there. If we did happen to run into anyone most of the mammals at night keep to themselves and don’t bother each other.”

Judy curled her lip in a sneaky grin as she narrowed her eyes. “You mean you are taking me somewhere we are going to be alone again?”

Finnick laughed as Nick shook his head. “I take it you have already accepted the invite?”

Judy blinked and her cheeks flushed at the fact he had turned her little flirt around on her and managed to get her blushing again. “Sly fox.” She typed in resting her cheek in her paw and smiling at the screen. “Does it make you happy knowing you can make me blush like that when I am trying to do it to you?”

“Yes, yes it does. One hundred percent. Can you meet me at the Central Junction? Around eight?”

Judy sucked in a breath and looked back at her closet. “I won’t need to wear anything fancy, will I?”

“No. Do you like ice cream?”

“Ice cream? Yes. I’ll meet you at eight.”

“I will be there with bells on, the usual shirt. But I do need to rest for a little while. Goodnight Carrots.”

“Goodnight Nick.”

Nick turned back to Finnick smiling as the little fox shook his head with a knowing smirk. “She is a bunny.”

Nicks eyes went wide as he shook his head and Finick fell back laughing before he sat up wiping his eyes. “Don’t say I didn’t try to warn you buddy.”

The red tod rolled his eyes as he slumped in his chair and looked back to the screen motioning for Finnick to come closer. The small fox jumped up chuckling as he looked at the screen and Nick narrowed his eyes. “Not funny Finn. I’m still not sure what being with her is going to do to me. I know for a fact if what happened last night happens again what it will do to you.” 

Finnick shrugged, “I can handle it.”

“Don’t do it again Finn. Stick with the plan.” He read as Nick curled one side of his lip up at him. Finnick rolled his eyes and nodded as he read over what the red fox had been thinking earlier.

“I can stick with it; it’s getting you to stick to it that’s the problem Nick. Aint exactly like I can reason with you when you’re like that ya know.” He turned blinking as the red foxes face landed in front of him and shoved his face away laughing as he batted his eyelashes. The small fox was almost rolling after looking back at the screen and reading a few lines that had popped up about how persuasive he could be when he wanted something and Nick sat up chuckling as Finnick shoved him again. “Yeah, dead or not, I don’t think being eaten by you would be a pleasant experience Nick.”

“Pssshha,” Nick lit the screen again still laughing. “You’d be so tough and chewy I’d probably spit you out anyway. I gotta get some rest before tonight.”

Finnick shook his head snickering. “Yeah she might do you in anyway and I won’t have to worry about your plan.”

Nick deadpanned him and Finnick threw his head back laughing as the red fox narrowed his eyes. A low growl and his white ears shot up pulling his lips under his teeth to contain his laughter. “Keep that up Finn and I won’t have to be savage to kill you again you little gutter rat.”

The small fox bounced a few times as his chest rolled in laughter. “I already got a girl Nick, and she’s my only Beast.” He jumped back as Nick shot forward growling and ran out the door to his van cackling as the red fox slammed the door narrowing his eyes behind him. Nick rolled his eyes before falling on top of the mattress again. Keep dreaming Judy….


	9. Meet You There

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James Arthur; Say you won’t let go

Judy turned searching and a chill ran up her spine looking at the empty station. A low scuffle had her ears spring up as she spun clutching her chest. “Do you always want to meet in a dark creepy place where I can’t see much and try to scare me to death?” The red fox smirked and she rolled her eyes as she let both paws rest on her hips and shook her head. “Well I’m happy to amuse you.” Nick leaned over grinning and she cocked a brow at him before turning her head. “Creepy fox.” He laughed silently as he held out an arm and Judy looked at him with a sarcastic stare before she laughed and grabbed him, rolling her eyes again at his overly satisfied grin. The doe giggled as they walked around a corner to a theater and Judy cocked her head looking at the sign. When she looked back to Nick, he was holding the same set of keys up and she folded her arms over her chest looking at him suspiciously. “Do you have a key to everything in the city?”

The fox did a half cocked shrug like ‘Eh’ and opened the door motioning for her to take the lead as she narrowed her eyes.

“You aren’t doing anything illegal are you? You know I’m a cop, right?”

Nick frowned at her before crossing his fingers over his heart and shaking his head while he held his other fingers up as if making an oath and looked at her a little pleadingly as she nodded. She sighed walking into the theater and waited to the side as he flipped on a set of lights and watched curiously as he opened a door and motioned to a set of stairs. She followed him up to a booth looking around fascinated before she watched him stick a reel in a projector and pull two chairs in front of the glass window above the theater. Judy sat looking around at all the films and Nick had to pull her attention to the movie as she kept watching the reel rolling and the lights from the machine blinking as the movie started. “How do you know how to do this?”

Nick smirked and shook his head as she finally took a seat beside him and she giggled as she pointed to his shirt pocket. “You aren’t using your music to talk anymore? You could always just give me your phone number and we could text each other.” The fox looked off and acted like he was coughing and she laughed as his ears flushed. He sighed as he shook his head and pulled his phone out. Judy looked at it with raised brows as he showed her the front and she scrunched her brows looking back at him. The whole screen was busted and barely visibly through what looked like a large object had smashed into the far right corner and nearly shattered the screen. “What happened to it? Why didn’t you get a new one?” Nick pointed to the wall and she looked to see a clock and let her ears flip back in thought. “No time? I guess it would be hard to get a replacement when you only get out at night.” Nick smiled and nodded as she looked it over again. “So, I guess it doesn’t make calls? I’m surprised you can see anything on it.” He looked off a bit agitated as he shook his head.

“That’s why you got the wrong song? What? You don’t want to be like Bumble Bee anymore? He had a lot of issues getting the right tunes for a while too. Of course, I can’t remember him really having something come up that may have insinuated an intimate relationship.” She laughed as Nick smacked a paw to his face and his ears tipped back looking at her with a faux frown. The fox’s ears snapped up as she leaned into her chair looking at the screen. “Casablanca?” Nick nodded and looked off bashfully as she rested her head on his shoulder, his cheeks lighting up as she curled her fingers above his. “I love this movie.” He sat there with her for the duration of the movie, wishing he could feel his heart beating and unclear on if it may have stopped were he still alive as she curled into his arm, her ears barely brushing against the fur of his neck and ghosting through him like he was a living being.

He had to keep his eyes trained on the film to keep from watching her as she kept tipping closer. Oh, for the love of…Finnick was right. How the hell am I going to get out of this? Especially after she…. Nick stood as Judy stayed there watching him. He unwound the film placing it back in the silver canister and was doing everything he could not to act as if she wasn’t keeping an amused eye on him as she rested her cheek in her palm with her elbow propped on the arm of the chair. When he turned, he almost fell back as she sprang in front of him, her ears tipped towards him in an awkward stance as he blinked at her. She giggled as he swallowed and reached for one of his paws, slowly pulling it to hers. “Ice cream, right?” Nick nodded rapidly and she bit her lip grinning as he rushed down the stairs with her in tow. Even if he couldn’t breath he was in dire need of air as they rushed from the theater. They made it half way up the block with her laughing at him before she slammed him to a stop raising her brows. “You didn’t lock the place.”

Nick huffed as he rolled his eyes, and pointed that direction as Judy kept trying not to laugh. He motioned to a bench that was at the closest bus stop and she took a seat chewing on her lip as she watched him run back the other way. Nick was fighting the growl growing in his chest as he got further away from her. He stopped just out of her line of sight jerking into a dark corner and clutching his head.

Judy’s ears sprang up as she heard a familiar hum getting closer. She tipped her head smiling and bounced from the bench when she spotted the friendly feline who seemed to be her only friend over the last two years. “BENJI!” She shouted and he turned beaming at her as his tail swished behind him.

“Judy!” he almost chirped as he jostled to her. The two exchanged a warm greeting as they both took a seat on the bench. “What are you doing here?”

Judy let her ears fall and looked off grinning as she muttered the words Hula Green. The cat’s ears shot up and he almost bounced where he was sitting as he started looking around. “Where is he?”

Judy twisted her faced wondering what was taking him so long and explained he had forgotten to lock the theater when they left and Clawhauser was looking around as she stood up turning back the other direction. “Judy?” She raising her brows and bit her lip trying to hide her smile as Clawhauser giggled. “You didn’t?!” She nodded a little red cheeked as he laughed. “You better go catch him and make sure he doesn’t get away!” She laughed turning and rushing back the same way as Clawhauser shook his head grinning.

Judy’s ears perked as she heard a low growl and she caught the motion of something in the darkness as all the fur on her neck stood on end. Her heart was pounding as she reached to her hip and she was internally cursing herself for being off duty and not bringing anything with her. Just as she dropped her ears and narrowed her eyes Nick felt a rush of relief as she stepped into the shadows and barely managed to catch himself before she grabbed his shoulder looking him over as he clutched his head. “Are you alright?”

Nick pulled his paws away looking her over before the signature smirk was in place as he managed to nod and point to his head as he rubbed his temple with his other paw. “You have a headache? Just from watching the movie?” He nodded absently and jerked away as she reached for his glasses rubbing his head. “Maybe we should go to the park and get ice cream another time and you should go home and get some rest if your eyes are bothering you that bad?” Nick clutched her shoulders shaking his head like his life depended on it and she smiled looking off the other direction biting her lip. He nearly lost his arm as she grabbed his paw again and giggled, dragging him back to the open side walk. Judy waved at Clawhauser as Nick turned his head. The cat waved at her as she kept walking and several mammals passing by were giving them funny looks as Nick sighed. Judy ground her jaw as she glared at them and wrapped her fingers tighter around his. “Don’t pay any attention to them, Nick. I don’t care what they think. I like you.”

Nick’s ears tipped back as he looked at her with a small smile and a tip of his head before he looked back to Clawhauser who was still watching them as they turned the corner. He tried to hide the look of sorrow on his face as Judy looked around at where he was leading them again. They walked another seven or eight blocks until he stopped in front of a large ice cream parlor that had her nose wiggling and head tilted again. “Jumbeaux’s? This place is for Elephants and larger mammals. Why would we come…here…”?

She stepped away from him as another odd sensation shot through her arm and jerked her paw from his as he looked at her before extending his paw to her. Judy looked at the place as she tried to get a grip on the odd sensation sending all the skin under her fur into goosebumps. She looked back to see Nick raising both brows before his head dropped slowly. “I do trust you, its…there is something weird about this place.” The fox turned his head and looked at the place as if he were inspecting it before turning back to her with a tipped brow as if asking ‘what?’ She puffed her cheeks out thinking about how foolish she probably seemed and shook it off as she took his extended paw, returning the smile he shot at her before opening the door for her to enter. Once inside he led her to a little cooler where he was letting her look everything over and kept his facial expressions in check as she kept looking around and clinging to his arm. He tapped the glass to get her attention and when she looked into the cooler, she cupped both paws over her muzzle before making a mad dash to the closest restroom where he rushed in behind her as she threw herself over the smallest stall she could find.

Nick cringed as she stayed there and held her ears back as she kept retching, cringing and turning his head as she groaned. She turned her head back to him and he almost lost all his nerve as she laughed a little like she had lost her mind before he was helping her off the floor and to the sink where she washed her face and grabbed a bunch of towels before wiping her face off and tossing them into the trash can. She stumbled into his chest and he looked down at her worriedly as she burrowed into his shirt. He ran his paws over her ears and she let out a sigh as she shook her head. “I’m sorry Nick. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” The fox tipped her head up and smiled at her as he shook his head and motioned to the doors. Judy nodded as he led her back out of the parlor and walked her home. The bunny kept a tight grip on his arm and the further they got from the place the livelier she became. By the time he had her back at her apartment door she was chewing on her lip as he tipped his head at her to tell her goodnight.

Nick looked back at her questioningly as she grabbed his paw and turned as she looked up from her chest, her front teeth almost denting into her skin below her bottom lip. “I really…like you Nick. You could…stay the night?” Nick blinked behind his shades and held his jaw from dropping as he lowered to his knees to be a little closer to her level. Judy looked off bashfully even though she was trying to hide a small smile when she noticed his ears had pinked slightly. He pulled out his phone and curled his lip up as he tapped it several times and ended up sighing as he rubbed his forehead nervously. Judy raised both brows as he held the phone flat and made a motion as if he were writing and she bolted into her apartment bringing him a small notepad. He chuckled silently as he looked over the little carrot pen she had handed him and wrote something on the paper before folding it over and placing it in her paw. When she tried to open it, he shook his head clasping his paw over hers.

She sighed as he stood again letting her head drop. “I guess that’s a no?” Nick picked her chin up grinning and shook his head at her before her eyes ticked to the side as if someone had just stepped on her heart. The fox leaned down holding her paw, placing a light kiss on her cheek and her eyes shot back to him as he stood grinning. He pointed to her door and made a motion of putting both paws to his cheek like he was sleeping and pointed to the paper and pen in her paw. She sighed as she smiled keeping her paw on her cheek. Nick watched her enter her apartment staying close to her door until he knew it was closed before he turned. Be there Finnick, because this is going to get rough. He almost prayed as he rushed the stairs.

Judy closed the door and nearly ripped the paper in half as she tried to unfold it. She turned her lamp on landing over the desk as she read what he had written and yanked her phone out looking through Zootube for what he had written. “James Arthur, Say you won’t let go.” She mumbled as she typed it in sitting in her chair and hit play once the link had come up. She sat there listening to a light guitar strum, her ears rising with every line until she was biting her lip giggling as she pulled her phone to her chest holding her cheek. “He kissed me even after I got sick”. 

Not long after, she was swaying around the room dreamily and fell back to her bed sighing as the song ended. “I think he loves me.” She hit play again and started humming as the words rang in her ears.

Bucky and Pronk both sat up and looked at each other as her voice started carrying through the walls singing. “Holy cattle!” Bucky laughed as Pronk slammed both paws over his mouth wide eyed. “Great, she’s happy but if she does that all the time we will never sleep!”

Pronk laughed as Bucky shook his head. “As if we have any room to talk.” The kudu smirked and Bucky laughed as Pronk pulled him under the covers giggling.

“KEEP SINGING RABBIT!”


	10. Last night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Owl City; The Technicolor Phase

Nick rushed down the stairs in a blur as he sped through every obstacle. As soon as he was out the door he was clutching his head as if he were trying to press his temples together and used every bit of his sanity to phase himself back to the warehouse. He had been good at keeping to the shadows during the day to reserve his energy for doing this because the more light he seemed to absorb the more difficult it was to move, particularly when his mind was failing him as it was now. FINNICK! A loud whistle rang through his ears and he honed on it as Judy’s ears tipped in the apartment above him. She stuck her head out her window and shrugged closing it as the sound faded. Finnick blew a whistle and braced against the floor as Nick stumbled out of the air and rolled on the floor of the warehouse.

The red fox was snarling and thrashing all over the floor as Finnick sucked in a breath and shook his head. “Welp, here we go.” Nick’s head shot from the floor snarling and trained on him as he curled his lip up. “Damn you’re a mess.” He grumbled as the larger fox’s fur stood on end. His claws scraped into the concrete and his eyes had gone a solid white with a narrow green line. Finnick growled as he jumped, keeping Nick’s attention on him as he started moving around the warehouse. “COME ON!” The small fox kept Nick chasing him around for hours until the night had nearly passed. No sooner had the sun come up, he managed to get him into a place where he was snapping at him in a furious frenzy. Nick jumped at him as he slid into another area and the red fox fell into the open sunlight. He rolled to a stop whining as he clutched his head and Finnick used every bit of the strength he had left to drag him back into the shadows when he had gone completely still. He left Nick in what would be considered an unconscious state as he crawled back to his van, barely managing to open the door and haul himself inside before falling to the bed. He had managed to wear the larger fox out and use the daylight to drain enough of his energy to get him back under control, but he shook his head huffing as he lifted a paw and caught the vision of the windows through it. “Yeah, that’ll do it for me. One more time doin something that active and I’m gone for any world.” He closed his eyes and let the exhaustion take him somewhere dreams had no place to live as the day wore on….

Nick rolled over groaning as he tried to get his bearings. He jolted as he remembered leaving the little apartment building and calling out. When nothing else came to mind he looked around frantically, letting his head drop in relief as he surveyed the familiar surroundings of the warehouse. “Finnick.” A deep dread set in as he searched the ware house, squinting and shrinking from the light as he opened the door searching for the van. The beast the little fox adored was no where to be seen and Nick was turning in circles screaming in his mind for the little fox as he sank into the thought that his best friend was gone in every sense of the word. “FINNICK!”

“SHATUP DAMNIT!” Nick stuck to the floor yanking his glasses off as he looked around.

“Where are you? How are you talking to me?”

“Beats the hell outta me but I’m warm and comfortable and its dark, so leave me the hell alone would ya?”

Nick popped a brow looking around into the air. “Warm?” he heard the little fox’s voice grumbling and shook his head as he sat back on the bed and curled into a ball. “Fine. Just come back whenever you get out of…wherever you are since you are still here.”

“Well I’m up now dammit. Let me see where I am.”

Nick lifted his head waiting and could have sworn he heard a metal creak before Finnick was grumbling. He could imagine the small fox scratching his head trying to figure out what was going on as the stream of cursing continued and he kept asking himself blindly what the hell as Nick huffed. “You know I can still hear you right?”

“Yeah whatever. I’m on the other side of town. Somethins wrong with my baby. She don’t look right and…FUCK!”

“You didn’t drive there?”

“Hell naw. I could barely move and could see through my own damn arms by the time I got you down again. Now I’m fine and she’s a mess.”

Nick cringed as he sat up and looked around. “Well, how did you?.....” Nick sat up straight and rushed to his desk as he pulled through some pages. “Finn, where did you get that van?”

“Cop auction? Why? And you should see her, it’s like the paint has faded from being in the sun and the mural is almost…gone. She aint looked this bad since I got her.”

Nick shook his head as the pages he could find yielded no results on the Brown Beast. “When you get closer to the station ask the cat about the van would you?”

“What da hell for?” he almost barked and Nick rolled his eyes as he shook his head.

“Did somebody else die in the damn thing Finn? You been treating that thing like its alive since the day you bought it. I swear if someone could have an affair with an inanimate object, I think you’re the closest I’ve ever seen. You keep telling me you take care of her and she takes care of you….maybe that’s why you still have it.”

Finnick stuck his paw under his chin looking at the van with narrowed eyes and laughed as he stuck a paw on it. Nick shook his head and rolled his eyes when he heard the little fox cooing at the giant van. “Did you save me from the big bad fox? Drag me away from some danger and keep me safe most of the day so he couldn’t get to me my lovely Beast?” A loud bang shot through the air and Nick jumped in the chair as Finnick fell to his rear gaping at the van.

His ears tipped as he heard Nick laughing. “Holy hell Finn, I think you bought a possessed car! She really is taking care of you. No wonder the two of you can never be apart. You are both keeping each other stable! It really is a ghost van!”

Finnick snickered as he stood up and laid a paw back on the Beast. “Well if I can fix you maybe I can fix her too now that I’m back to normal.”

The little fox’s eyes went wide as the van nearly roared its protest and Nick sat straight blinking as his eyes twitched. “Was that…a growl Finn?”

The small fox nodded absently as the van rolled forward on its own and stood there in shock as Nick huffed. “I don’t know what’s going on if you aren’t thinking about it Finn.”

“S-sorry. She’s movin by herself! I …the door just swung open. I think she wants me to go with her.”

Nick shook his head laughing silently as Finnick jumped in the van. “Damn, guess you really do have a girl.”

“Guess we aint goin too far, she just moved us into a darker spot. Speakin of girls Nick, what happened with the bunny?”

Nick ticked his eyes back to the screen and nearly shrank in his chair as he looked over the messages Judy had sent him. The sun was starting to go down and he looked off thinking as Finnick perked his ears looking out the windows of the van. “Maybe your girl is like us, just needs some time to recharge after something happens. Might explain why you bounced back so fast after the other times you’ve had to reel me in if she is giving you a boost after you have given me part of your energy.”

“Nick.” Finnick growled as he set his ears and leaned forward in the driver’s seat.

Nick looked over the messages and out the window noting how the day had nearly ended and hung his head as he closed his eyes. 

“Hi Nick? Are you there? I thought maybe we could see each other again tonight….Are you there? Hello…”

She had left the messages over the course of several hours and he shook his head letting his chest ache again as he responded. “I’m Sorry Carrots. Tomorrow will be my last night in Zootopia. I’m afraid I can’t see you again. It was nice to meet you and I hope things change for you at the job you seem to love so much.”

“What the hell are ya doin Nick?!” the red fox jumped as Finnick’s voice screamed between his ears.

“It’s better this way Finn. She will forget about me. You aren’t alone. I’ll go back and stay this time. You and your Beast can leave, or stay here at the factory. Whatever makes you happy. I don’t want to hurt her.”

Finnick sat up pressing his lips down so far it looked like they might tear over the bottom of his jaw. “HURT HER?! YOU’RE ALREADY DEAD AND HOW THE HELL ARE YA GONNA- The cream-colored fox jerked as Nicks growl tore through the van. “She asked you to stay, didn’t she? Ya know that might end all this crap. Damn its Nick! Ya gotta-”

“NO.”

Finnick sighed as he shook his head. “I get it already. We’re coming back. Maybe I can-”

CLICK

He turned wide eyed as every lock in the van slammed down, the sound of them rolling through the interior as it vibrated in a low growl again. “Aww you gotta be kitting me!” Finnick spat as he tried to pull one of the locks up and fell back as the van jostled him from the seat. He looked up blinking as the keys fell from the ignition and snatched them looking back with a disbelieving glare at the steering wheel. “Fine! Both of ya’s damn stubborn and I guess I aint goin nowhere.” He shoved the key back into the ignition and plopped back in the driver’s seat as he folded his arms over his chest scowling. The little fox’s face fell as the seat tipped back and seemed to mold around him as he huffed and caved to going back to resting.

Nick chuckled as he tried to imagine what the Beast had managed to do to contain the small fox but he didn’t have to think to hard on it as his eyes hit the screen again. The little icons bounced as his face fell. 

“What did I do? I thought we were…. I told you what happened and that I was sorry. Can I at least see you before you leave?”

He closed his eyes almost wishing he had the strength to traverse through all the lines and garbled mess of the internet to see her one more time and turned his head as he left the final message. “There is nothing wrong with you Carrots. You are perfect just the way you are and I am sorry this time. I’m glad I got to see you before I have to leave. Goodbye Judy.”

Judy sat there sniffling and her eyes fell after there were no more responses to anything else she sent. She ground her teeth as the first few tears fell and the mist faded into anger as she stormed from her apartment slamming her door and stomping down the stairs. Bucky and Pronk both tipped on the couch looking at each other before looking to the door and cringing. “Moody, isn’t she?” Pronk asked as Bucky shook his head and turned the T.V. back up as the Kudu glared at him.

“That’s too loud!”

“It wouldn’t be if you would shut up!”

“You shut up!”

Judy rolled her eyes as she threw the front door open and ran down the street. Her feet carried her to a familiar block and she slowed as her racing thoughts caught up to her. Why won’t he see me? Don’t assume anything… maybe he is busy getting ready? Maybe he likes me and thinks it would be easier this way... maybe he… She stopped catching sight of a rusty colored van furrowing her brow as she looked it over and shook her head as she knocked on the back door, dismissing it looked a little different. Finnick jumped without thought swinging it open and screaming “Whattayawant!”

“I need to find Nick, Please.” She asked as she folded her paws in front of herself. His angry scowl faded into surprise at the fact she was standing there and the door had opened. He turned back looking at the steering wheel as he shrugged.

“I can try to take ya.” His face curled into an elated smirk as the key flipped in the ignition without starting. “Yeah. I can take ya. Hop in bunny.”

Judy was chewing her lip as they pulled down a little dirt road and crossed over a bridge she wasn’t sure would hold the vehicle she was riding in. Finnick chuckled as she looked at him nervously and shook his head as she glanced up at the factory before he pulled to a stop. Nick’s ears tipped up and he left his shades in his pockets knowing the little fox had pulled up and it was dark enough he didn’t need them. The door swung open and Nick stood with both paws on his hips as the small fox beamed. The red fox’s face fell as Judy walked in behind him and Nick turned grabbing his glasses and shoving them on his face before he turned back to the smaller fox with a pronounced snarl. Judy hung her head and looked off hurt as he dropped the angry tone he was wearing and walked to her shaking his head. He grabbed one of her paws holding a finger up asking her to wait and she nodded as Nick shoved Finnick out the door and around the van. The little fox was cackling as Nick glared at him with his teeth showing.

“Don’t look at me -it was all the girls this time.” He pat the side of the van and Nick’s eyes shot to it as it seemed to vibrate in a low growl before slashing them back to the little fox.

“DAMN IT FINNICK I TOLD YOU I-” His paws slammed and cupped over his muzzle and Finnick’s jaw dropped as they stared at each other.

“You can talk! Ooh boy, you gotta talk to her!” Nick shook his head in shock as he looked back to the door.

“You know what she wanted last night and you know what happens when a fox…. I can’t talk to her or, or anything else! It would bring up too many questions and I…”

Finnick turned his brow down and shot the fox a sneaky smirk. “She’s the reason ya can talk again stupid. Ya might go all savage after you are with her and apart again, that I can understand under the circumstances. This, I aint got a clue, but I do know it aint my problem.” The red fox let his jaw drop as Finnick jumped back into the van.

“Don’t leave her here! Not this close to the time when-”

“Oh yeah.” Finnick laughed as he stuck his arm out the window. ‘It is about that time of night aint it? Funny she came looking for you this time of night hu Nick? Deal with it, or her, whatever.”

The small fox leaned back in the seat throwing his arms behind his head as the van rumbled away and Nick jumped as it backfired, biting back the screaming he wanted to hurl at him in case Judy could hear his voice. He turned sucking in all the courage he could gather before walking into the warehouse again and seeing her sitting at his desk with her paws folded in her lap watching the door for his return. “Please don’t be angry at me. I really wanted to see you one more time before you left.”


	11. One More Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sarah McLaughlin; Arms of the Angel

Nick felt everything in his chest explode as she kept her eyes on the floor. The guilt on her face had him stepping closer as he lowered to his knees and picked her chin up. She looked to find him smiling at her softly before she shot forward wrapping her arms around his neck as his eyes went wide. The fox had to remind himself to keep his voice hidden in case she could hear it as he bounced in a silent chuckle petting her ears. He stood with her still wrapped around his neck, tipping on her toes as their height difference nearly pulled them apart and was smirking as she looked off bashfully. He was trying not to laugh as she started looking around trying to act as if she was fascinated with the place when he knew she was trying to get him, or herself focused on something else. “This is where you live? Or lived, since you are moving?” She turned back to see him look around and he stuffed his paws in his pockets nodding as she moved a little closer. He looked down at her as she let her ears fall. “Do you have to leave?” Nick looked around in thought and nodded again as she reached for his arm. Pulling his paw out of his pocket as he raised both brows at her and acted like he was sighing.

When she reached for his glasses, he turned his head cringing as she let her paw stay suspended close to his face. “Can I see your eyes? It’s really dark in here for me, so maybe it won’t bother you too much?” Nick shook his head and slapped a paw to his face and she giggled as he reached for a lamp on the desk turning on the low light as he shrugged apologetically. “I guess you don’t think about it too often if you don’t need the lights.” He shook his head as she looked at him curiously again and reached for his glasses. The fox cringed as she held one side in her paw and closed his eyes as she pulled them off his face. He felt her place her paw on his cheek and urge him to turn back to her and finally cracked them open looking at her expecting her to run off screaming. Instead she smiled widely and he blinked as she looked between them. “Your eyes are beautiful Nick.”

He stood there half stunned as she kept smiling until he managed to return a similar look that had her biting her lip. The smile faded as she leaned up on her toes and they were both ticking their eyes between each other and their lips as they finally brushed together. Nick fell into it faster than he thought possible as Judy melted. What started out as tender, sweet, and tentative turned into a raging passion as they both clung to each other without thought. Judy’s head tipped back and he instinctively brushed his cheek along hers until his jaw was at her throat. His eyes shot open in horror as she gasped when his teeth nipped her. He stumbled away falling to the floor with both paws over his muzzle, a look of sheer terror on his face as she blinked looking at him. “Nick?” He turned his head in shame covering his eyes as she furrowed her brow and knelt beside him placing a paw on his leg as he shuttered. “I know how foxes do things.”

He kept his eyes closed and shook his head trying to figure out how the hell he felt her, felt himself, how he had gotten lost in a moment he knew he feared more than anything else in life or death as she brushed his cheek. “What happened to you?” his eyes opened on her and the bunny’s face dropped to sorrow as his eyes crested over. “You know I won’t hurt you right? I won’t leave you alone or do something that will hurt you.”

He may as well have been alive as his heart shattered. The flood of emotion that over took him nearly knocked her over as he pulled her under his chin sobbing. She didn’t understand, even as close as they were in this moment she still didn’t understand. He had been watching her for almost two years, waiting for her to see him again, and she had closed every avenue he had taken trying to get her attention. Blocked him from her apartment, kept her away as she walked around in daylight and the only way he had managed to get close to her was to slip through her computer each night as she checked her emails. He was always there, keeping guard over her as she slept while the hours allowed it, but he was never seen, never noticed, never felt by her. At the time he had started talking to Clawhauser he was desperate and had nearly given up, deciding to leave it alone, to leave her alone and let it go and accept the fact that nothing would ever be right, that nothing would ever fix things, and now he knew he had it right to begin with. 

“I know you are leaving tomorrow. Can I stay with you tonight Nick? Please?” The words she nearly whispered had his lip curling under as he wrapped around her tighter, letting every part of the hope he had go as he looked to the ceiling with tears streaming down his face.

If there is a God, or any kind of mercy left, let us have this before I disappear. Don’t let her remember me the way I was, let her remember me the way I am right now. If this is all she can see, let it be the only thing she ever remembers about us being together….

Nick lifted his head over hers looking down into the large purple eyes staring back at him and let go of every fear he had as they kissed again. She looked back at him waiting and he returned a small smile before helping her off the floor and holding her paw as he walked to a large door on the opposite side of the warehouse. Judy tipped her ears as he fumbled with a lock and blinked as he managed to open it. When he held his paw out, she stuck both hers on her hips with a cocky smirk. “Now how did you get that open without your magic keyring that seems to unlock everything?” Nick flinched and opened his eyes on her with a guilty grimace as she giggled. He had been so caught up in keeping her occupied and showing her what he wanted her to see the previous times they were together that it had been his main focus and was kicking himself for letting it slip. She took his paw and looked over his claws with a tipped brow. “I’ve heard some mammals can do that with their claws. I’ve never believed it, but…since we didn’t steal anything, or damage anything. I think I can let it slide. Just this once.”

Nick smirked and silently chuckled before he led her up the flight of stairs to the warehouse ceiling and the doe looked around nervously at the rounded roof top covered in glass tiles. The fox snickered as he pointed to an area and she looked out with raised brows as a long walk way led into an area of flattened rooftop where there were several tables and chairs set up. She shook her head as he helped her walk the narrow path and was looking around in awe at the plants he had everywhere. A small garden filled with flowers and leafy green plants that were there for nothing other than their appearance and the fact that someone had liked to grow them. As he pulled out a chair for her, she kept looking around in the low light under the moon and jerked when she heard a snap, her eyes training on the fox as he flipped a lever with his foot. She let her jaw hang open as several lights came on, low enough that she could see everything around her and dim enough that they didn’t obstruct the view she could now see of the city of Zootopia. The doe stood catching her breath at the sight of the Palm Hotel, several large buildings that arched as if the wind had bent them into odd shapes and the reflecting on them from the stars made the whole city look like it was sitting in the night sky. The mirrored glass surface of the waters surrounding Zootopia left a twinkling below in the reflection of the night sky and city lights as she stood, getting closer to the edge while Nick watched her smiling. “You are leaving this?” she asked absently as she sucked in the sight. She had been in some of the most elegant and extravagant places in the city, trying to kill time while she wasn’t on duty and thought she had seen the best views of the city, but nothing compared to what she was currently viewing.

Nick looked out over the city and she watched as his eyes lit up like the view she had already fallen in love with. He tipped his head down smiling at her and shrugged as his arm folded over her shoulders, pulling her closer as they both looked back over the city again. They sat there in the low lighting, both of them lost in the sight as they stayed close to each other until Judy’s jaw was splitting in a wide yawn that had him smiling at her again. The fox tipped his head back to another darkened area of the rooftop where several large potted plants were making a little oasis around a large awning she wondered about how it hung as it looked like it was floating. As he pulled her closer, she giggled looking over the odd structure and the way the wires made it look invisible against the back ground as he motioned for her to get comfortable. She turned her brow down shaking her head. “What is this thing?” she asked and his chest bounced as he looked off in amusement. Judy tried to get onto it and gasped as she felt his paws grab her hips and lift her up. She ended up on the dark covered surface blinking as it bounced with her weight.

It looked like a trampoline that had been suspended on the springs around a metal tubing and suspended by several similar spring wires like a hammock. It not only bounced slightly with his weight as he jumped onto it beside her, it swayed as the motion picked it up and moved it back and forth in some kind of odd circular motion. Judy fell forward with the unexpected swing of his added weight and Nick was grinning as she tried to pull herself from his chest with her cheeks flushing when he pulled her closer and laid them back letting the gentle sway rock them in the darkness. Judy shifted in his arms and looked up to find him watching her with a soft smile. They shared several warm kisses and Judy curled her brow as he pulled her paw away from his neck keeping it from himself as he looked back at her still smiling and shaking his head at her. She sighed as she settled for cuddling close under his neck and they both fell asleep wrapped around each other in the gentle breeze that kept rocking them….

Within the darkness of his mind he found himself in a familiar place that held nothing close to the warmth he could feel in his arms. The cold chill that ran up his spine left him shivering as his ears flicked. Thump thump thump thump thump thump… His eyes shot open as he tried to catch his breath and the feeling of her being against his chest had him curling his arms around her tighter as he fought the desire to run. Not tonight, not now, not while she is here, like this! This can’t be the way we spend the rest of the time we have… His head lifted as he looked down, feeling her finger clutching at his fur as she rolled her head under his neck. It’s her heartbeat, her… Oh gods help me….

He looked at her as his chest started bouncing and face curled into agony as he brushed her face, watching her rub her cheek along his paw. Keep dreaming Judy… He closed his eyes again, shaking his head as he tried to keep himself still so he wouldn’t wake her as the dawn started coming over the edge of Zootopia. He felt the light stinging every part of him as he laid there with her in his arms, deciding that if this was how things were going to be that he should just let the dawn drain all the energy he had until he was gone, at least being in the one place he didn’t want to leave.

Judy sat up and rolled her neck as she looked around, her face broke into an awestruck smile as she looked and found Nick still curled around her, the light from the day making the color of his fur look brighter as he yawned and looked at her blinking. The bunny gawked as he jumped from the springy contraption they had been sleeping on and tipped her head curiously as he stepped out from under the awning above it shielding his eyes from the sun and looking around like he was in shock. He patted his pockets and searched his pants as he kept narrowing his eyes and she laughed. “You left your glasses on the desk last night before we came up here.” Nick kept his paws over his eyes as his lip curled up in confusion and shook his head. “I guess you haven’t been out in the sun for a while? The way you are acting I’d think you’re a vampire or something.” Nick let his arms drop and she laughed again at the dumbstruck look on his face before he was rushing them both back down the stairs. He stopped as they were passing the mirror on the wall and looked at himself still flabbergasted by the fact that his eyes were normal, he had been in the sun most of the day and he was still…here.

Nick turned his head as Judy gasped and he found her grabbing at his computer and staring at it as her mouth dropped. “You… how did you do this?” Nick curled his brow and stepped to the desk as she kept looking it over and his eyes went wide as he slammed it closed looking at her with his ears tipped back. “Did you come back down here last night and write how you were feeling? About…us?” Nick cringed and wondered exactly how much she had seen or how he had managed to do that not thinking about it as he clenched his fists nervously and she looked at him and giggled. “Do I make you that nervous? If you like me that much you could just stay here. What is it I haven’t figured out yet? I already know I like you, so what else matters?”

The fox cringed as he looked off in another direction and Judy let her ears drop as she sensed she may have stepped on a sore subject, assuming it had something to do with his apparent inability to talk or getting hurt by someone. Her eyes gaped at the clock on the wall as she lifted her ears and changed the subject. “I need to go home and get cleaned up, eat something and check in with Benji. He is sort of my only friend here and I talk to him every day.” Nick looked back at her and stuck his lip out and she laughed as she nodded. “O.K., not my only friend. I have Finnick too.” Nick scoffed and rolled his eyes as she poked him in the chest. The fox jumped back swatting her paw and shook his head as she got a mischievous smirk. “You are ticklish, aren’t you?” He gulped as she curled her fingers up and narrowed her eyes.


	12. Take me Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King and Country; Fight on Fighter

Nick shook his head rapidly and was trying to fend her off as she knocked him the mattress and had her paws under his arms in a scratch as her fingers rolled through his fur. He was laughing so hard he was in tears as she kept teasing him until he blurted out, “STOP!” She let her face fall as he cupped both paws over his mouth and looked away from her as she kept staring at him. They shot back to her as she giggled. “OK, what’s the deal? Are you that nervous around other people that you just don’t talk, or is it just me?” He slid his eyes down away from her and back to see her grinning at him as she bit her lip. “You are more than a friend Nick. It’s already after five and Benji is working the late shift tonight. Come with me? Maybe I can change your mind about leaving?” He cringed as she waited and let his shoulders drop as she took his paw in hers. “At least stay with me until you have to go?” He reluctantly agreed as they left his warehouse and walked to her apartment.

Nick stood there chuckling as she rushed around her little broom closet and grabbed the TV dinner out of the microwave. “Do you want one?” she asked peeling the top off and her nose crinkled as she looked it over. The bunny laughed when she looked up and saw him sticking his tongue out with a sour face. “Yeah they aren’t very good. About the only thing I eat every day and most of the time its habit so I don’t starve. Well except for those carrot cakes Benji brings me every week.” Nick smirked as she unwound the towel from her ears and laid it over the back of her chair as she dropped the tray into the trash can without touching the poor excuse for a carrot in it. He had waited for her to go through her usual evening routine and was leaned against her little closet. She shoved him out the door rolling her eyes as she caught Bucky and Pronk laughing in the next room. “I swear those two are the moodiest mammals I have ever been around.” Nick bit back the scoff he almost cut lose as Judy urged him to the stairs.

They had made it more than a few blocks when Nicks ears tipped and he jerked as Finnick’s van rushed through the street. The tires were peeling as Judy frowned and shook her head. “He’s lucky I’m not on duty right now.” When she turned to address Nick, she caught his eyes become hazy before he shot down the street. “NICK?! WHATS WRONG? IS HE IN TROUBLE?” She managed to catch up with him but he was huffing as he darted through and around objects as if they were mere hurdles on a kit’s playground. She got no response as he stumbled down a set of dark stairs and rolled as if he had jumped.

“Ow.” She curled her lip as he rubbed his shoulder like someone had hit him in the arm and lifted a brow as he shot up another set of stairs.

”NICK?!” She rushed trying to keep pace with him and stopped as she caught the sight of the elephant at the top of the stairs holding a spear in his paws from ancient times. Judy jolted as Finnick popped out of nowhere and Nick was still running as she took a step back.

“Whatcha afraid of bunny? Gonna let him go alone?”

“What the heck is going on Finnick? Why are you here?” she asked trying to get her heart back under control.

“He said he had to leave tonight. Ya want him to stay? Ya better get after him bunny.”

Finnick turned and she caught him running in another direction, every word she screamed seemed to bounce off him as he rushed to another area into a room that was dark. She turned and ran towards Nick as he stood there staring at nothing, a large mural of an ancient scene caught her attention as he grabbed her paw and jerked the other way. “RUN!”

“FROM WHAT!?” She asked as he drug her along with him. The fox barreled through another room and Judy stumbled as her leg caught something. She rolled hissing as she clutched her calf and Nick was looking back at the door like they were being chased as he hauled her behind a rounded corner. “Just go get help Nick. I can’t walk like this.”

“Are you crazy? I’m not going to leave you!”

“JUST GO GET HELP! WHAT ARE WE RUNNING FROM?” She watched him with an absolutely confused and dumbfounded expression as he grabbed a rabbit model holding a spear and stuck it in front of her before getting her off the floor. He was still trying to rush as she limped along side his attempts to run and lost her breath when it felt as if something hit them head on, throwing them both into a pit. She looked up stunned and shaking her head as a voice echoed through the little structure……

 

Clawhauser clicked the com and sighed as Bogo asked what the problem was. “Sir, we have a possible break in at the natural history museum.

The bull rolled his eyes smashing his finger to the button. “Just tell them to ignore it. You know as well as I do that the damn thing goes off every night and there is never anything there.”

“Sir.” Clawhauser shifted in his seat as Bogo sat up. “This time it is a motion sensor that has been tripped.”

The Chief of police looked at his calendar and sighed. “Where is she Clawhauser? You talk to her every day.”

“I haven’t heard from her today. I don’t know, Sir.”

“Damn it!” he growled and left his chair twirling when he stormed from the office and grabbed the sides of the safety rails. He looked down catching several officers passing through and let his voice carry through the lobby. “Delgato, Wolford. Possible break in at the Natural History Museum. Meet me in the front.”

“I so don’t want to go there again. Especially if she is the problem.” Delgato’s ears tilted back as Wolford stuck a paw on his shoulder. The large tiger looked at him sadly and shook his head. “Two years today Wolford. Two years and I just want to forget it ever happened…….”

 

Judy looked up still trying to find the echoing voice…

“Judy…. I really liked you. It’s too bad.” 

But there was no one there, it was almost a whisper that wasn’t caught. Judy’s head fell as she searched her mind and she shot back as Nick snarled.

“Nick?” She gasped as his eyes slashed to her, slit pupils had her scurrying along the floor and up trying to run as he tore through a primitive stuffed deer. “Nick!”

The fox was on her and her head fell back as she screamed. A shot sounded and she looked up still not seeing anyone as he was thrown the other way. She leaned up sobbing as his nearly lifeless body laid there, the sound of him struggling to breathe through the snarls he was still attempting drowned out by her own screaming. The phone in his pocket had fallen out and held a single bullet lodged in the far right corner. “I remember…. everything.”

Nick sat up looking at her sadly before his head fell and his eyes crested over as they closed. Judy was lost in her own memories as she absently spoke. “I rode with you in the ambulance. I was trying to get you to stop moving around because the bullet was in your chest and had pierced one of your lungs. They gave you the antidote after they saw the videos from the security monitors Finnick had turned on that night. I stood outside the glass windows when they told me and Benji they couldn’t get you stable. That there wouldn’t be enough time for you to understand what was happening because you had lost so much blood and were infected with the night howlers. I remember… Bogo said Finnick had tried to help us, that he had gone back to his van to get his bat and was trying to get into the museum again to help. The front doors were locked. He was driving straight at the doors when one of Dawns rams tried to shoot him. He ducked it and lost control of the van. It rolled and flipped before it caught fire. They said you were going to die and I stormed past them all into your room and wished they hadn’t put that thing on your face or had to tie you to the bed to keep you still.” Her breath caught as she looked back at him and shook her head. “I held your paw, and just for a second, one second your eyes were normal when you looked at me that night again. I asked you not to leave me. I listened to your heart beat on the machine as I rested my head against your paw and you said you would never leave me before the……”

beep beep, beep beep beep……..beep………beep……beeeeeeeeeeeep

^--^--^--^--^--^--^--^---^-------^--------^------^----------------------------------------------------------------------

Judy balled her fist in rage as she shot from the floor and ground her teeth. “YOU LEFT ME! YOU SAID YOU WOULDN’T LEAVE ME!” Nick’s head shot to the side as she slapped him, and her eyes swelled over flooding her cheeks as he snapped back to her growling. His eyes turned a solid white with a solid vertical line as his black lips curled over his muzzle and she screamed again as he jumped at her.

Clawhauser stepped around the corner after Bogo had hauled him into the museum. Wolford was keeping an eye on Delgato as the large cat shivered. “This place gives me the Heebee Jeebees.”

The wolf raised both brows and rolled his eyes as he stuck a paw on his gun and shook his head. “Can’t you just say it gives you the creeps like everyone else does?”

“Hey.” The tiger growled as he looked around nervously catching Bogo narrowing his eyes on him and pointing a single finger in his direction, indicating they needed to pay attention. “You aren’t the one who…”

Wolford sighed as he watched the large cat’s shoulders fall. “You were doing your job and trying to save Hopps. It just happens sometimes. It‘s not your fault we couldn’t get in because the front of the building was on fire from that van that wrecked and exploded.” Bogo stopped as Clawhauser’s ears set, and all their fur stood on end as they heard a distinct growling that had the large tiger shaking. The air around them chilled and they both shuttered as their breath fogged the air in front of them. Wolford turned to him puffing out a breath. “OK, I think your phrase fits well enough. Heebee Jeebees it is, because that, was just beyond creepy.” A scream rounded through the open area and they all looked at each other before Clawhauser was running with them all chasing after him. The cat fell at the open edge of the open in floor display huffing, he closed his eyes trying to turn away from the sight as Bogo stepped to his side.

Judy’s head fell back as Nick’s jaw locked on her throat, cutting off the scream she had been in and her eyes shot open as she felt a snap. Nick backed away on all fours as she watched him fall apart, clutching his head as he started rolling on the floor as if he were trying to pull his own teeth and claws out. She clutched her throat and shook her head as she looked up and saw Finnick standing with Clawhauser as Bogo, Delgato and Wolford kept their eyes on the chubby cat.

“He never left ya bunny.” Finnick said as he shook his head.

She looked back to see Clawhauser falling back on his rear and all the gears in her head turned as the flash of all the other memories she had locked from her mind flooded into her. Nick stood in front of her looking over his own claws with a face that she couldn’t even imagine what kind of hell he had been in. Finnick let his head fall to the side and closed his eyes as she wrapped her paws around her throat. Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump…thump……


	13. Ghosted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My Darkest Days; Without You

The silence of her heartbeat stopping and the rattle of her last breath rang in her ears as she turned and saw the scene from another point of view. She looked back to Nick letting her paws drop and watched her blood spray over his face as he turned and cringed before he fell to his knees sobbing. The fox’s shirt looked as if someone had let loose a valve as a small spot of blood spilled out covering the entire front where he had been shot, and his shoulders rolled as he looked at his own claws. Judy felt every part of herself sink as she looked up and found Clawhauser sobbing above them as Finnick let his eyes fall back to her. “Every night, for two years he relives this moment. He feels his own death, but it’s not what’s keeping him here, he feels you dying and the last breath you take, the last beats of your heart and when it stopped while you are in his jaws. The moment he killed you. Every night he tells you he will stay, and every night you forget and refuse to see him as you walk away, refuse to see the truth and accept your death. Every night he loses his mind the moment you leave and becomes savage again, because he was only Nick Wilde again, while you were with him in his last moment of life. He could only see you because he was dying. I stayed and have tried to pull him back as much as I could every morning so he could try to move on. He can’t, not without you.”

Judy’s bottom lip trembled as she looked at Clawhauser who shook his head returning the same sorrow before he ticked his eyes between the other officers and Bogo. “They can’t see you Judy. Only when you get angry, when you can move things around or are really happy and do something most mammals don’t notice. They can only see what you do when you interact with things in this world and are really upset or really happy.”

Judy dropped her head and sobbed again as she remembered her parents coming to Bogo's office.

“SHE WOULD STILL BE HERE IF IT WEREN’T FOR YOU! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING LETTING A BUNNY…”

She heard Nick sob again and looked to find him clutching his head as he growled and pulled at his ears. He looked back at her with tears streaming down his face and shook his head as he looked back at his claws and his jaw split in a blood curdling, self loathing scream.

“I kept you from, I made you this way … I… ghosted you?” She let the sorrow propel her as she jumped, catching him as he tried to fall forward again and burrowing her head under his chin. “Oh Nick, no! I’m so sorry. It wasn’t your fault. I will never leave you again.” His arms wrapped around her and he was cradling her head against his chest as they both fell apart.

Finnick’s paws jerked up as the room went bright shielding his eyes. The small fox chuckled as Bogo, Delgato and Wolford all let their jaws fall while Clawhauser had a goofy smile on his face as he wiped his eyes.

The bull blinked as he looked at the ghostly figures of the fox and bunny. Delgato let his head fall as they rose from the pit they were in, locked into a kiss. Finnick laughed as the wolf and tiger shot the other direction moving away from them when his van roared through the front of the building like a shadow. It back fired as it rolled next to the small fox and another bright light sent them all squinting as Nick and Judy landed on the floor. Finnick jerked as the van morphed into an unfamiliar shape and Clawhauser’s jaw hung open as a small black mammal stood there where it had once been. “Black Betty?” he asked as the little female shot him a wink. They all looked at the chubby cheetah in question as Finnick kept eyeing the female beside him. She was built and looked like a Fennec fox with the exception of her tail that was nearly as long as her body and had a wide mid section that furled into the fluffy tip. The small fox could only stare as she stuck her finger under his jaw snapping it closed as he looked over the curvy little female in front of him, noting a single strip of white fur that hung over one of her dark brown eyes. He looked back to Clawhauser grinning wildly as Nick and Judy kept their eyes on each other.

“Black Betty?” Finnick asked grinning as she ran her paw down his chest.

Clawhauser giggled as Bogo smacked a paw to his face and shook his head. “Damn they are coming out of the woodwork and I can see them now!” Delgato and Wolford glanced at each other and the wolf stuck a paw on his shoulder as the tiger shook his head.

Clawhauser sat up looking between all of them as he nodded. “She was an informant for the Z.P.D. on an undercover case. She was shot in the crossfire of a raid and died in her…van.”

Finnick looked back at her blinking and shook his head. “So, it wasn’t backfiring?” He asked and she shook her head as she curled around him. “No wonder I couldn’t figure out where the problem was!”

“No, it wasn’t backfiring, but I loved you trying to figure out what the problem was.” She cooed at him.

The small fox’s ears tipped back as his jaw fell open and the little female in front of him grinned from ear to ear as Clawhauser laughed. “Oh, she always was a flirt. Some things never change.” Clawhauser stood up next to Bogo who was grumbling as Nick and Judy stayed in each other’s arms. The little bunny was stroking his cheek as he brushed his muzzle through the fur on top of her head. Nick turned seeing Delgato let his eyes stay away from them, locked to one side and he sighed as he let go of Judy walking to the larger cat.

“I would have shot me too you know?” Nick asked and smiled as Delgato cringed looking back at him. “If it meant saving her? I would have.”

“Nick.” Judy said a little scolding.

The fox looked back at her with a cocky smirk and tipped a brow. “Are you going to leave me again?” She shook her head wrapping around his chest and Nick smiled closing his eyes before he looked back to the tiger. “I’m all good then, and so are we. You were just doing your job.” Wolford nodded at Delgato as Bogo shook his head.

“Is this over now?” Bogo asked as he looked between the transparent apparitions standing around him and his officers.

Clawhauser chirped and bounced as he shook his head. “Nope! It’s not over!”

They all looked at him and Nick curled his brow into a straight line as he narrowed his eyes. “There’s something I’ve wanted to ask you since the day I died Benjamin.” The friendly cat smiled raising his brows as Judy looked between them. “You saw me, didn’t you? When I was standing there beside you watching her over my body? How can you see us and no one else can?”

Clawhauser’s ears tipped back as his face fell and he nodded as the fox bounced his head. “Most of the time it is canine of some kind that can see your kind but it’s rare, even more so for a cat like me, but we are animals. Some of us are just more in tune with things like this than most mammals. You didn’t say anything to me, and at the time Bogo wouldn’t have believed I could see either one of you. Not until she started doing those things at the precinct and scaring the heck out of mammals who worked there. I saw him too.” He pointed at Finnick who shrugged as Judy looked up at the cat who had kept her company for the last two years. “Judy was crying over you before she left the room and walked past all of us. I knew she couldn’t see you. I’ve tried to tell her a few times. Pointed out the fact that she never ate and tried to get her to eat with me but she never would. I watched Finnick lure you out as you went all savage when she left and couldn’t see you. I knew who you were when you started sending me the messages because of your shirt and your eyes.” Clawhauser shrugged. “It fit.”

Nick looked at her ginning as she turned her head. “Yeah well the clues I gave her didn’t get through either and I couldn’t talk to explain it to her even if she could have seen me.” Judy tilted her head and her nose wiggled as he smirked again. “The park and the Ice rink?”

Judy wilted as she thought about it. “Polar, it was right next to the Big mansion and Kevin and Raymond were the ones who locked it up that night, he was carrying Mr. Big.”

“What was the lei made out of Carrots?” The bunny blinked as she looked off into space and shook her head.

“Nighthowlers.” Judy mumbled as Finnick snickered.

“Ya really gotta think about all of it bunny?”

Nick chuckled as Judy cringed. “Carrots. The popsicle shop. A weasel who gives them all a bad name, roses from Otterton that didn’t make any sense and we…” she buried her head in Nicks chest mumbling about the things they had said to each other online. Finnick snickered as she groaned.

“An elepahnt who saw a ticket and all he could see was your name as the officer who wrote it. Dumb bunny.” Finnick chuckled.

She whipped her head to the smaller fox as she narrowed her eyes and the little female beside him shoved her elbow into his gut making him curl over as Delgato and Wolford raised their brows.

“Can you…feel that?” Wolford asked as he watched the little fox double over cringing.

“Yeah. I really can.” Finnick moaned out as he looked back at Betty accusingly.

“You can hu?” she asked as she looked him over. “Want me to make it better for you?”

Judy turned into Nick burying her head in his shirt as he laughed when the small female grabbed Finnick in a lip lock that had his eyes popping out. Clawhauser turned his face blushing as Wolford and Delgato chuckled. Nick shook his head as he pulled Judy’s eyes to his. “So, what now Carrots?”

She shook her head and shrugged and they all looked to Clawhauser as he cooed with his paws up to his cheek in a fisted ball. “Are you all happy? Have everything you wanted to get done taken care of?”

Nick looked at Judy grinning and nodded as she curled around him in a content purr. Finnick looked at Betty and was nodding with a cocky tilt as she giggled and wrapped around the small fox again. “Yeah, I think we’re all good.”

“Great then all you have to do, is be at peace and you can move on.” Clawhauser said in a cheery voice. They all looked at each other and shrugged as they held together. Clawhauser was biting his lip as the room began to glow behind them. Nick, Judy, Finnick and Betty all turned as a soft breeze blew through the museum and the officers watching gaped as several figures appeared from the soft light. Shapeless and formless they swirled around the four mammals until Nick wrapped around Judy grinning.

“Let’s go home.”

Judy looked at him worriedly and his face turned to concern as she chewed her lip. “Nick, did we stop Bellwether? Did we…make the world a better place?”

All four of the ghostly visions turned their attention back to Bogo as he chuckled and nodded his head. “It’s done. Thanks to all of you. We got the surveyance from the cameras here, outside, and something was recorded on that little carrot pen.”

Judy perked her ears as Bogo folded his arms over his chest and shook his head. “A little too dark for right now, but all of it together made one hell of a case. She’s in jail and won’t be getting out anytime soon, or for the rest of her life for that matter.”

Judy looked back to Nick and his eyes softened as he wrapped both paws around her shoulders. “I was a disaster without you in this world Judy. I can’t imagine it would be better anywhere else either. If you stay. I’ll stay. If you leave, take me with you. You are my ever after, no matter where it is. Just say you’ll stay with me.”

Judy sniffled as she wrapped her arms around him and Nick looked up after resting his head on hers as she replied with the same answer. “I will always be with you Nick.” The fox closed his eyes and the room lit in a warm glow as the swirling wafts of -whatever they were churning the air. Clawhauser sighed as he turned and Bogo tipped an ear in his direction as Delgato and Wolford looked to see them both turn their backs and motioned for them to follow in the same direction.

Clawhauser shrugged as they all looked at him. “The rest is their business, and whatever is after this, isn’t for us to know….”


	14. Legendary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welshly Arms; legendary.   
> Possible sequel beginning-

Judy sniffled as she wrapped her arms around Nick, he looked up after resting his head on hers and she replied with the same answer. “I will always be with you Nick” The fox closed his eyes and the room lit in a warm glow as the swirling wafts of -whatever they were churned the air. Clawhauser sighed as he turned and Bogo tipped an ear in his direction as Delgato and Wolford looked to see them both turn their backs and motion for them to follow in the same direction.

Clawhauser shrugged as they all looked at him. “The rest is their business, and whatever is after this, isn’t for us to know….”

The cat everyone knew as the friendliest mammal in the world had all their ears tipped when he growled.

Even Bogo’s ears shot up as the cheetah in front of him puffed out like a primitive mammal issuing a threat. They all gaped at the door where he was aiming the low growl that turned to an angry hiss as a striped cheek bunny walked in with several mammals in tow, all wearing crisp white shirts and jet-black suits that looked slick enough that lint may not even stick to them. Bogo stood to his full height looking back and catching Nick cupping Judy’s chin in his paw as he said let’s go home. The rabbit in the suit let one side of his lip curl in a disturbing smile as he shook his head. “HOLD UP ON THAT THOUGHT WILDE.”

The bull looked around and narrowed his eyes on the rabbit as Finnick, Betty, Nick and Judy all turned their attention that way. “Who are you talking to?” Bogo asked in a stiff lip as he lowered his brows.

The swirls that had been surrounding the four who were about to depart seemed to explode as if in a frenzy and all four of them were knocked to the floor blinking as they rushed back to whence they came. The warmth of the light that had poured into the room chilled into a frost that settled over everything as the rabbit chuckled looking up at the Chief of police. “I’m talking to them, you know the dead guys over there, a couple of girls too.”

Bogo sighed as he curled his lip under and stiffened his back. “This is private property. You are trespassing on a routine check for a malfunctioning security system. Delgato, Wolford, take them in and charge them with breaking and entering, have a mental evaluation done to make sure they are sane before they are released.”

The rabbit lifted a brow as the mammals around him chuckled and Bogo ground his teeth as he looked at the rhino behind the rabbit, a large wolverine at his left and a hippo still standing at the door as if guarding the exit. 

Bogo ground out as his nostrils flared.“Don’t make this difficult.” 

The buck reached into his jacket chest and all the officers reached for side arms. Before they had the chance to pull anything from holsters they were all staring down the barrels of the oddest weapons they had ever seen. Clawhauser was the only breathing mammal in the room who kept his teeth showing in an angry hiss as his claws unsheathed and the buck looked him over nodding as he pulled a billfold from his jacket and flipped it open. “Jack Savage, Z.P.D. Federal division.”

Bogo shook his head scowling as he looked it over and rolled his eyes, keeping a sharp eye on the odd weapons trained on him and his officers. “I know all the officers in the Z.P.D. There is no Federal division for the police department.”

The rabbit laughed as he looked back and found Nick and Judy, along with Finnick and Betty looking around trying to figure out what just happened as they ticked their eyes around the room and the mammals not far from the front doors. “No, there is no Federal division for the police. I work for the Zootopian Government, and what better way to hide an agency than to use a name that already exists? Zootopian Paranormal Division. We cater to very special cases and need the help of very unique officers.”

“YOU LYING PIECE OF-“

“CLAWHAUSER!” Bogo screamed as Wolford and Delagato let their jaws drop, gaping at the large feline. 

The rabbit kept a flat face as he looked up at the cheetah who was keeping a low growl trained on him as Bogo tried to assess the situation and kept coming up with a blank. “Trigger,” the rabbit barked. The wolverine beside him shifted his arm and was training the weapon on the four apparitions who had stood behind them. Clawhauser’s face fell and his claws pulled back as Jack smirked. Bogo looked between them and sighed as the buck stepped around them heading straight for the red fox who was wrapped around Judy and had his lip curled up. “Hey Chief Bogo? Jack asked as he kept walking. The bull turned his snout down as his ears perked. “You know that once you have seen them, you will always see them?” Bogo looked to Clawhauser and blinked as the cheetah looked at him and back to the little group Jack was walking too.

He leaned towards the cat as his ears flicked back. “I think you have some things to explain to me don’t you?”

Bogos ears shot up as Jacks voice carried through the area. Oh, don’t worry, we’ll get to that soon enough.” Jack stopped in front of Nick as the fox looked him up and down with his teeth showing. Keeping his tail half curled around Judy as he held her close. “You know I didn’t think anything would come of you Hopps. But you are the reason we are here.” Judy looked up at Nick shaking her head in confusion as they all looked back to the rabbit who shoved his paws in his pockets.

“You know, we didn’t even know about you, at first.” He pointed to Nick and the fox curled his lip up in a snarl as Jack looked at Finnick and Betty. “You see, she,” Jack pointed at Judy, “is an empathic poltergeist. She gets upset and really angry she can move things around, she is happy or sad, angry, she can affect the moods of the living mammals around her.”

Judy blinked as she thought about Bucky and Pronk and looked back to see Nick looking at her with a worried grimace. “You, on the other paw Mr. Wilde. Are a ghost. Now a poltergeist can never become a ghost, but a ghost, can become a poltergeist, and you have some significant skills we happened to notice because we were watching her.” Nick and Judy looked at each other and back to Jack as the same eerie smile crept up his face. “There aren’t a whole lot of any ghosts who can walk around in daylight, you seem to have gotten past that with her. But there are none we have ever seen who can travel into and out of an area that has been blocked by a poltergeist using electrical or communication lines. You really needed to get to her didn’t you?”Judy buried her head in Nicks chest as Jack looked her over. 

“What do you want?” Nick growled as he glared at the buck. Finnick’s chest had puffed out as Betty’s tail slashed angrily behind her.

“All of you, to come work for me.” Jack said with tipped ears and another creepy smile.

“We don’t belong here.” Nick growled as Judy looked up at him. “And If I’m just a ghost how the hell could I help you anyway? You sure as hell aren’t taking her, or my friends anywhere when we all have somewhere better to be.”

“Oh, I’m afraid you missed that window Wilde. You are, whether you like it or not, doomed to walk the earth for at least another year. And as far as getting you into a poltergeist? I don’t think that will be too hard Wilde. You’re already upset.” He looked back to Judy and curled one side of his lip as he shook his head. “Damn shame that is right there.”

Judy shivered as his eyes crawled over her and Nick pulled his lips over his teeth snarling in a ferocious growl as his eyes slit into savage rage. He stepped in front of Judy with his teeth bore at the buck and curled his tail around her keeping her behind his back as Jack let all his teeth show in an arrogant smile. “She’s really got a great ass you know?”

Bogo, Wolford, Delgato and Clawhauser all looked around as Nick growled and snapped his teeth at the buck. The lights in the museum flickered and several bulbs shattered as Nick lowered his head and his eyes glowed solid white. Judy was trying to pull him back as Finnick looked to Betty and shook his head when all the mammals at the door started shivering as their breath blew forward. The wolverine and rhino glanced at each other chuckling and nodding. Nick jumped forward as Jack jumped to the side laughing. Bogo, Wolford and Delgato all threw their arms over their heads as the building shook and sent dust flying. “NOW!” Jack screamed and Clawhauser shot forward hissing as the rhino stepped into his path and knocked him down just by getting into his way of tackling the wolverine.

The odd weapon he was training on them lit up and glowed blue pulsing as a red ball flew from it and Judy screamed as it smacked her in the chest. Nick’s eyes fell back to green as panic set in and he rushed to her rolling her over as she laid panting in his lap. “WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER! HOW?!”

Jack stood up from the position he had taken when he was preparing to jump again and tipped his head back in an angry frown. “You aren’t the first other worldlies we’ve had to deal with Wilde. Given your reputation and hers, neither of you work well with others. This will ensure we all get along without problems.” Nick snarled at him again as Jack tipped his head to her. “Pay attention Wilde.” The fox looked down at the bunny and his face dropped as he caught sight of the odd glowing strand of red around her neck. Her eyes fluttered open as she tried to sit up and he pulled her closer with a flat brow and an angry glare trained on Jack as he lowered looking them both over. “You get out of control, and she is the one who pays for it. Seemed pretty fair considering she is the reason you got trapped here to begin with, yes?” Jack held up his paw showing Nick the controls and the fox narrowed his eyes angrily as Finnick balled his fists.

The buck shook his head and tapped the little thing. “You really don’t want to know what all these things can do to her. It still amazes me,” he said looking at it as he stood. “You might be dead here, but I think the best way to describe it is that you are just on a different…. Frequency than we are. Right now, there are some really nasty things out there and I think, you might be able to help with that.”

Finnick stepped forward with his fists clenched. Betty’s face turned to rage beside him and Nick shook his head at them as Jack ticked his eyes between them and smirked when they all stopped as he rolled his thumb over the odd disk controller in his paw, halting their motions. “Would you look at that? You can teach old dogs new tricks.”

The buck left them all sitting there glaring at his back as Nick cradled Judy and he looked her over as she rolled her head in his arm. Clawhauser had the attention of all the officers and Bogo as Jack stepped to him. “We’ve been trying to convince your clerk to work for us for what is it? Five years now Ben? Not many mammals are as open with these things as he is and he tends to attract a lot of attention and has managed to turn several others in our favor.” Clawhauser looked at him angrily as he fought not to unsheathe his claws again. “Of course he has had the help of a little bunny in the Z.P.D. to change a few minds the last couple of years hasn’t he?” Jack looked up at Wolford and Delgato, then back to Bogo as he lifted his head. “We have things to discuss. Bring your bunny, Fox.”

Nick and Finnick glanced at each other as Jack motioned to the doors. The small fox was growling under his breath as the little female beside him bit her tongue and muffled the obscenities trying to escape as Nick stood hefting Judy in his arms. She curled around his neck sniffling. Clawhauser’s face fell as he watched Nicks ears perk when she muttered and the fox shook his head as he glared at the buck waiting for them to leave the building. “No, its not. It’s his fault.” The rhino and wolverine both stepped to a large white van and were behind the front seat as the hippo opened the doors motioning for them to get in. Bogo looked at his officers with a raised lip and started to speak as Jack held up a paw. “We’ll meet you at the station Chief. I think Ben will ride with us, and Olly can go with you so you know we are not far behind.” The bull shook his head as he motioned to his officers and the hippo followed him to his car as Jack watched Finnick and Betty jump into the large van. Clawhauser had taken a seat at the far end closest to the door as Nick sat beside him still holding Judy. 

The red fox leaned over whispering to Clawhauser as Jack was getting both the large doors closed. “It’s not illegal to kill someone if your already dead is it?”

Clawhauser opened his mouth in a snide smile as Nicks ears shot up. “No, it’s not Wilde.” Jack replied as he slammed the doors and turned around grinning. He pointed at his ears as Nick glared at him.

“Fucking rabbit ears.” He muttered under his breath and rolled his eyes as Jack took a seat opposite him and Clawhauser. The buck folded one leg over the other as he leaned back and glanced at Finnick and Betty who were both trying to keep their teeth hidden as he nodded. “Let me make this clear. I am an asshole. I don’t deny it, hell I’ll proudly tell anyone that if they ask, not that they usually need to.”

“Not the word I would have chosen, Jack.” Nick growled. Betty grabbed Finnick’s paw as he balled it into a fist snarling at the buck. Jack ticked his eyes between both of them as his breath flew out into the cold and he looked down at his paw, all of their eyes falling to the little disk he was holding as he ran his thumb around it in a circular motion. The threat was clear enough and Nick sighed and dropped his head as Judy tried to hide in the fur of his neck again.

Jack sat up sticking it back in his breast pocket as he nodded. “Now that we have that straightened out. TRIGGER?” He shouted and the wolverine’s head shot through the small window from the front seat. “Make sure you get all the tapes from the museum tonight and collect anything from the Z.P.D. with evidence of paranormal activity. Get it out there as fast as you can.” The wolverine nodded and pulled back to the front before closing the little window again.

They all looked at Jack shaking their heads except for Clawhauser, who let his hang as he buried his face in his paws. The buck chuckled as he pulled out a phone and absently scrolled through his contacts. “We make sure to let everyone know anything we find and encourage others to print anything they find. It’s a way to keep things circulating, find out if there is anything real out there or validate a potential, or already existent problem that has been overlooked. Most people ignore it, don’t believe it even when you are telling the truth because they can’t see it if they don’t believe in it. They just think it’s made up to entertain people or those who do believe in it are nuts. I’ve been doing this since I was seventeen. Bedtime stories that scare kids, boogey men, ghosts, monsters. All based on something at some point, nothing more than legends until it comes and something goes bump in the night.”

Finnick growled as he sat up and shook his head. “Yeah, I got a feelin’ somethin’s gonna come for you rabbit.”

Jack snickered as he bounced his head. “Wouldn’t be the first time.” The van stopped and Jack opened the door motioning for Clawhauser to exit the vehicle as he held his other paw up. “No need for you to go anywhere just yet. I’ll be in there in a minute Ben.” Clawhauser shook his head as he climbed out of the van and Jack leaned against the side of the closed door as Nick, Finnick and Betty glared at him. The red fox growled again as Jack looked over Judy, watching her trying to hide herself behind his arms and tail. He looked at Betty and Finnick’s hackles rose as Jack shook his head. “You four work together the way you do for one reason. You are all out for nothing other than to protect each other.”

Nick and Finnick glanced at each other as Betty showed Jack her teeth. “So you know what happens when you screw around with a family this close then don’t you Jack?” She asked a little too sweetly. Nick and Finnick’s ears both shot up as they gaped at the little black fox. She glanced at both of them in an ornery shrug before she turned back to the buck batting her lashes as he nodded at her. 

“Finnick stayed for Nick, Betty stayed for Finnick , Nick stayed for Judy. Judy stayed because she couldn’t accept Nick’s death.” The red fox’s face fell as his eyes jerked to the little bunny who sobbed in his arms. Jack smirked as he folded his arms over his chest. “What? You thought it was because she couldn’t accept her own death? No, it only took her half a second to get over that once she could see it all again. You were the reason she couldn’t handle any of it. You all also have some significant skills.”

“Oh honey, you have no idea what my skills are.” Betty purred as she fluffed up the trim on the skirt she was wearing and Finnick looked at her blinking.

Jack shook his head as he looked back at the precinct. “ I know you can possess inanimate objects. Finnick and Judy were walking around in broad daylight without it draining their energy, Nick can go savage and they both have the capability to affect the temperature, objects and mammals around them. I have a feeling it’s just the tip of the iceburge. We are trying to help mammals. People don’t always like the way we do things, but we do get them done.” Nick scowled at him as Judy wrapped around him tighter. “Oh by the way Wilde, Finnick, and Betty, if she gets more than two hours away from me, that thing will go off, and it won’t be pretty anymore.”

The door slammed as Nick bit back another growl when Judy whimpered in his arms. “I’m sorry.” Nick shook his head pulling her paws away from his neck and her eyes to his as she kept saying it was her fault. He stopped her with a soft kiss and smiled at her as Finnick and Betty glanced at each other.

“You heard the asshole rabbit right? They are helping people. What was it you wanted to do again? Oh yeah,” he snickered pressing his head to hers. “Make the world a better place. If we are here anyway why not try? New things can always be scary but we can do this if we stick together. O.K.?” She sniffed again as she nodded and he pulled her into a tight hug as he looked back to Finnick. The two foxes gave each other a glance Betty had come to know well over the years they had spent riding around together and her teeth split in a menacing smile as she leaned into Finnick. Both foxes grinned as Nick let one side of his lip curl up and Judy pressed her head into his neck. “Let’s make a legend if that is what Jack wants…. Well give him the biggest legend he has ever seen.”


End file.
